Award-winning actress leaves NBA fans divided after Game 7 anthem goes viral

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Kristin Chenoweth was getting dunked on before Game 7 of the NBA Finals had even tipped off on Sunday night.

The Tony Award-winning actress took major heat on social media for her rendition of the U.S. national anthem ahead of the deciding game of the championship series between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Oklahoma native, who has starred in several Broadway shows over her illustrious career, really flexed her vocal muscles while belting out The Star-Spangled Banner, which included holding an incredibly long high note at the song’s crescendo.

But while the Oklahoma native received thunderous applause from the fans in attendance, the verdict on social media decidedly was a lot more negative.

“The Kristin Chenoweth rendition of the National Anthem was a difficult listen,” one user posted on X.

“This is the worst National Anthem I ever heard,” another boldly stated.

“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 the talented singer.

“Not even 30 seconds in and she already made 3 people cry and 1 ref rethink his calls,” one user joked on X.

“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.

“Oklahoma native Kristin Chenoweth nailed the national anthem before Game 7,” a third user posted.

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.

Chenoweth has been a vocal supporter of the Thunder and was prepped to ‘Thunder Up’ with her performance, rocking a team T-shirt.

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.

Hamilton’s 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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