The national anthem has become a staple of major American sporting events, and with versions sung every single night, every sport has its share of infamous performances. One that stands out in NBA history came back in 2003, when the Portland Trail Blazers were hosting the Dallas Mavericks in a first-round playoff game.
Natalie Gilbert, then 13 years old, took center court to sing, but midway through the performance, she forgot the words. Fortunately, she had an eager helper in the form of then-Blazers head coach Maurice Cheeks, who stepped up and encouraged her to keep going.
Cheeks even finished the song alongside her, embracing her afterward and turning what could have been a horrible night into a heartwarming moment that made national news.
Fast forward 22 years and Cheeks is an assistant coach under Tom Thibodeau with the New York Knicks. Those Knicks make only one trip to Portland per year, and the Blazers decided to bring back a very special anthem singer for the occasion.
Gilbert, now 35, stepped onto the floor to once again sing in front of Cheeks. She nailed her performance this time.
The Portland crowd gave Gilbert a rousing ovation after her performance, and the camera even cut to a grinning and applauding Cheeks. Even now, more than two decades later, Gilbert remains thankful to Cheeks for his kindness.
“This moment changed my life. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” Gilbert said on the broadcast, according to ESPN. “I would not go back in time and change it at all. Seeing him and seeing that he’s still the standup guy today that he was back then. It’s amazing.”
The age of the internet has made it easier than ever for a single embarrassing moment to snowball into something that defines someone’s life. Were it not for Cheeks, that perhaps could have been the case for Gilbert. Instead, the two were able to give fans in Portland and around the NBA two of the most memorable national anthem renditions the league has ever seen.
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