Kristin Chenoweth was part of the opening ceremonies of the biggest game of the NBA season on Sunday (June 22). The Broadway star sang the National Anthem ahead of tipoff for Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and her rendition was nothing short of a Tony-worthy performance.
The Tony winner was a perfect choice for the occasion for more than one reason: Aside from her vocal chops, Chenoweth is a native of Oklahoma, and the game was a matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. The event was held at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
After being introduced by the arena announcer, Chenoweth launched into a flawless performance. She sang the song with ease and wowed the crowd with her extended delivery of the line “O’er the land of the free.”
The actress might have served as a good luck charm for the Thunder, too, as they went on to win it all 103-91, securing their title as NBA Champions.
See her performance below — be sure to note her flashy knee-high boots:
Country Artists Who Have Sung the National Anthem
Throughout the history of sports, it’s been tradition for the pre-game festivities to include the “Star-Spangled Banner.” For big games like this, it’s not uncommon for a big name star to be brought in to perform the song live, and there have been plenty of times that artist has been from the world of country music.
Related: Country Artists Who Have Sung the National Anthem
Carrie Underwood, Charley Pride, Chris Stapleton and more have sung the nation’s anthem at sporting events across the nation. We’ve seen some of our favorites belt out the heralded song at hockey games, baseball games and even the Super Bowl!
In fact, country music enjoyed a four-year run of delivering America’s song ahead of the biggest game of the season.
15 Country Artists Primed to Headline a Super Bowl Halftime Show
Any way you slice it, country music is long overdue for its time in the spotlight at the Super Bowl. Although several artists have sung the National Anthem at the game, the coveted halftime show has been anything but country for over three decades.
The last time anyone from the genre headlined the performance was in 1994, when Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Wynonna Judd and Naomi Judd did a medley of their biggest hits. With country music gaining in popularity, there’s no better time than now to put one of our own in the spotlight. Here are 15 artists who are already primed to take on the task.
Gallery Credit: Jess
