Tony Award-winning actress leaves NBA fans divided after Game 7 anthem goes viral
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'I would have rather listened to Fergie's anthem performance than that one by Kristin Chenoweth,' a third user wrote, referencing the Black-Eyed Peas singer's infamous outing at the 2018 NBA all-star game.
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The reviews weren't all bad, however, with many applauding
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'Not even 30 seconds in and she already made 3 people cry and 1 ref rethink his calls,' one user joked on X.
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'Perfect in every way. Ranks in the top five best ever renditions of the beautiful Star Spangled Banner. Brought tears to my eyes,' another wrote.
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'Oklahoma native Kristin Chenoweth nailed the national anthem before Game 7,' a third user posted.
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Chenoweth, who won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and also has starred as Glinda in Wicked on Broadway, hails from Broken Arrow, Okla., roughly 185 km northeast of Oklahoma City.
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Chenoweth has been a vocal supporter of the Thunder and was prepped to 'Thunder Up' with her performance, rocking a team T-shirt.
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GAME 7 TONIGHT. THUNDER UP!!! ⚡️🏀
SO proud of these boys. Let's go!! #ThunderUp #NBAFinals @okcthunder @NBA pic.twitter.com/zLLb5tVxmN
— Kristin Chenoweth (@KChenoweth) June 22, 2025
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She must have been thrilled with the game's end result, too: OKC defeated the visiting Pacers 103-91 to capture the franchise's first NBA championship.
Toronto's own Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points in Game 7 and was named the Finals MVP, completing a spectacular run which saw him become the second Canadian to ever win the league's regular-season MVP award, following the great Steve Nash, who won it twice.
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