The American National Anthem takes no prisoners, musically speaking. Sure, we all get by when singing in a crowd. But belting it out solo, with the spotlight that entails, requires tuning the pipes and rehearsing the sh-t out of it before hitting the stage. When you hear a singer really in command of the melody, it’s sublime. When it’s less than that, our ears pick up on the struggle. So when I heard that THE Kristin Chenoweth was stepping out on court to deliver “The Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of Sunday’s NBA Finals, I breathed a sigh of relief straight from the diaphragm. Because Ms. Chenoweth is in charge of any song she sings, never the other way around, thankyouverymuch. Sadly, not all were appreciative of Kristin’s powerful voice. While I thought the performance was a slam dunk (sportsball pun!), others found her rendition polarizing, as they noted vociferously online:
Kristin Chenoweth may be Broadway royalty, but NBA fans were less than enchanted by her national anthem performance.
The Oklahoma-born singer and Tony Award winner performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, June 22. Dressed in an Oklahoma City Thunder graphic T-shirt and silver embellished boots, the “Wicked” star sang in her distinctive musical theater tone. Toward the end of the anthem, Chenoweth, 56, held a long, opera-style high note to applause before concluding her rendition.
Many viewers at home weren’t quite sold on the showtune flair:
“This is the worst National Anthem I ever heard,” one user wrote.
“They got a opera singer doing the national anthem I’m done,” another wrote.
“Listening to the national anthem at that part,” one user captioned a gif of NeNe Leakes seeming visibly taken aback.
“They shoulda invited that girl who sang the national anthem in Spanish to sing there,” one fan chimed in, referring to R&B singer Nezza’s recent performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in Spanish at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game.
Though everyone didn’t share Chenoweth’s love for musical theater, her Oklahoma City Thunder still pulled off a win to take home the city’s first title, defeating the Indiana Pacers 103-91.
One user in their criticism called back to one infamous rendition of the national anthem, adding, “this national anthem up there with fergie.”
Fergie’s 2018 performance at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles drew much criticism at the time, leading the singer to explain to TMZ at the time, “I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.”
No! No no no no no no. You don’t do this to Emmy and Tony Award winner and classically-trained songstress Kristin Chenoweth! In June, no less, the month of Pride and the Tonys!! Honestly, I thought she killed it. There’s one moment towards the end, which I guess is tripping up these naysayers, where she does trill out on a super soprano high note. You know why? Because she CAN. I thought it was baller flex (more basketball lingo!) and, frankly, resent the anti-opera, anti-musical theater rhetoric running afoul in people’s comments. And to liken Kristin’s rendition to that of Fergie’s 2018 fiasco? For shame. They’re not even close. Fergie approached the National Anthem like a breathy nightclub act; Kristin marched her whole 4’11” frame up there and went, “I’m gonna do the thing AND show off a bit too AND my hometown team is gonna win to boot,” with all the energy of an over-excited theater kid who knows they have the talent to back up the bravado. And she did all that without even getting up before 11am! That takes some big (basket)balls.
KRISTIN CHENOWETH SINGS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
PERFECT WAY TO TIP OFF GAME 7 ON ABC! pic.twitter.com/BVUEcNmD8L
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2025
