KNOXVILLE – The really scary stuff for anyone rooting for Tennessee’s Big Orange against Florida on Wednesday night came at intermission, when the greatest halftime show in history – Chinese unicyclist Red Panda – enlisted former Volunteers star and current Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson to help with her routine.
If you’ve never seen Red Panda, whose real name is Rong Niu, put her on your bucket list. Yesterday. Perched atop a 7-foot unicycle she pedals with her left foot while balancing, then kicking bowls onto her head with her right foot – sometimes five at a time – she just might be the only halftime show in sports that’s routinely better than the game.
Put another way: When NBA superstar Stephen Curry was playing for Davidson, he once swished a 75-footer against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to close out a first half inside McKenzie Arena. Because Red Panda was in the house that evening, Curry’s shot was only the second-best highlight.
So with the Vols leading the Gators by a healthy nine points at the half, 27-18, here came Red Panda riding her unicycle onto the court and here stood Richardson, smoothly tossing her another large white bowl whenever she signaled.
Asked later if he was nervous, Richardson – who’s wrapping up the NBA’s All-Star break – nodded in the affirmative, then said, “I was terrified, I was completely terrified.”