Benny the Bull switches to No. 99 after Chicago retires Derrick Rose’s jersey
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CHICAGO — Benny the Bull will no longer wear the No. 1 uniform he has sported since his 1969 debut. The Chicago Bulls’ long-time mascot introduced his new No. 99 jersey Monday night after the franchise officially retired Derrick Rose’s No. 1 on Saturday.
In the hours leading up to the game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Benny hinted at the change on social media, staging a mock news conference where he declined questions and displayed a sign reading, “I’ve got 99 problems but my number ain’t 1.” He later convened a focus group before hanging his old jersey in a locker-room closet.
The reveal came at halftime, when Benny emerged in a white No. 99 uniform. No Bulls player has ever worn that number; the closest was Dennis Rodman’s No. 91 during Chicago’s second championship three-peat.
Benny, named the NBA’s Mascot of the Year in 2015, is known for spilling popcorn on visiting fans and sinking half-court shots—236 to date, according to his website. Until Monday, he had never appeared in anything but No. 1.
Rose’s jersey became the fifth retired by the Bulls, joining Jerry Sloan (4), Bob Love (10), Michael Jordan (23) and Scottie Pippen (33). The Chicago native played seven seasons with the team and, at 22 in 2011, became the youngest MVP in league history.
Source: ESPN
