Who is the Chicago Bulls' mascot, Benny the Bull?

Benny the Bull, also referred to as Benny, has been the mascot for the Chicago Bulls since 1969, making him one of the very first mascots in NBA history. He was the mascot for Chicago Stadium from 1969 to 1994 and is now the mascot for the United Center. He is as popular as some of the legends — Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, who played for the Bulls.

Benny is named after the first Public Relation Manager and Stadium Announcer for the Chicago Bulls, Ben Bentley, and he is the longest tenured mascot in sports history. Benny the Bull had many relatives over the years, like Da Bull, who didn’t have a tail. He lost his tail at the United Center while rehearsing his spectacular dunks. Da Bull was arrested for selling marijuana in 2004 and hence was retired in the same year.

Benny’s great grandfather was the first mascot for the Chicago Bulls and his father was the mascot in the 90s. Barry Anderson also played Benny the Bull but he announced that he would retire after 2016. The current version of Benny the Bull was introduced in 2014. Many NBA teams have a wild animal as a mascot to keep fans and audience engaged during timeouts, halftime and city events.

Benny the Bull Real Name

Benny the Bull is played by Benjamin T. Benny. He keeps the crowd engaged through his stunts, dance routines, comedy, autographs and pictures during breaks. He was named the most popular mascot in 2013 and even has his own TikTok account, where he has over 5.5 million followers.

Benny has a tanned snout, big eyes, red fur, orange and pink hair, horns with red tips, black gloves with red fur on the back and a long red tail. He wears #1 with the name “Benny” on his jersey. From time to time, Benny the Bull changes his appearance based on the theme and mood of the game.

His escapade has made him famous across the globe and he has been seen with many celebrities. Benny has also made appearances to promote education as a member of the All-Star Reading Team. He makes around 250 appearances on an annual basis.

Benny can also be booked for private events and has even worked as a mascot for other sports franchises. He travels in a van named Benny’s Bull Ride with his assistant, Todd Abbott. The current version of Benny is famous for his excellent dancing skills, dunking tricks, shooting backward halfcourt shots, taunting and teasing opposition players and aerobatic flips and jumps. His current family has two mascots named Benji and Big Ben.