The Bulls and Blackhawks get kicked out of the United Center each November so they can make room for the circus to come to town in what has become known as the annual “Circus Trip.” Every player from both teams is expected to make the trip, except for the injured Carlos Boozer, who will remain behind to join the circus as its newest clown.
As the Bulls play San Antonio Wednesday, Boozo the Clown will make his debut, juggling his way into the hearts of and minds of Chicago area youths.
“I almost attended clown college,” said Boozer, who idolized both Bozo the Clown and Michael Jordan growing up, and turned his love of Bozo Buckets into a basketball scholarship to Duke. “They’re the ones who offered up the money, so I had to go to Duke.”
Boozer, who never stopped dreaming of putting on those clown shoes and making kids happy, works as a clown during the off-season, attending children’s birthday parties and visiting sick children in hospitals.
Now Boozo the Clown will be entertaining much bigger crowds as he juggles basketballs, makes balloon NBA Championship trophies, and slam dunks the world’s smallest man through a basketball hoop of fire in front of packed United Center Crowds.
The idea seems risky being that Boozer is already injured. Many wonder if this is the smartest decision for Bulls GM Gar Forman.
“He’s no use to us sitting on the bench and it will help to get him back into playing shape,” said Forman, who’s the one who made the decision to rent out Boozer to Ringling Brothers. “And as long as those goofy clowns don’t plant gym bags in front of him while he’s performing, we shouldn’t have any problems.”
