Rong “Krystal” Niu, known by the stage name “Red Panda,” has been performing during halftime shows since 1993, when she was invited to appear at a Los Angeles Clippers game. Since her introduction to audiences in the United States, she has become a mainstay.
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Red Panda was set to be the halftime act on Tuesday’s game between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx, but an injury caused her to end her performance early.
The halftime act for Red Panda features her balancing on a seven-foot unicycle and throwing bowls onto her head after balancing them on her arms and legs. During her performance on Tuesday, things went haywire, as she plummeted to the ground at the start of her act.
Barstool Sports shared the video of the injury, as Red Panda came crashing to the ground and suffered what appeared to be a wrist injury. Further reports indicated that the performer had to be helped off the court by medical professionals.
As stated, Red Panda has been performing in the United States since the early 1990s. Following her introduction in 1993 at the Clippers game, she would go on to perform in 40 more NBA games that season.
Red Panda not only captured the minds of audiences during halftime shows at basketball games, but she also appeared as a contestant on “America’s Got Talent” season 8, and “Britain’s Got Talent” series 25.
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She would make it as a quarter-finalist in 2013 on “America’s Got Talent,” but reportedly left the show after it was revealed that he father was diagnosed with cancer. Red Panda also made it to the semifinals on “Britain’s Got Talent.”
Recently, Red Panda reached Hollywood status, as she was cast and performed in the “Running Point” series on Netflix, which is said to be based on Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss.
In season one, episode five, Red Panda is replaced at the last minute as the halftime performer during a game for the fictional Los Angeles Waves basketball team. Though there is a ton of skepticism that the halftime performance will be popular, she blows the audience away.
Red Panda has been captivating audiences for decades, and the hope is the injury she suffered is only minor and she will be back to performing in halftime shows very soon.
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