On Wednesday (June 3), as the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks began their journey to the 2026 NBA championship, Tori Kelly set the tone with her flawless rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner.
Kelly became the first performer of the national anthem at the 2026 NBA Finals, which began Wednesday night with Game 1 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. With the Larry O'Brien Trophy statue as a backdrop, Kelly performed a subdued, technically flawless rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," dressed in a cream collared jacket with brown striped sleeves and chocolate-brown leather lace-up pants. She largely stuck to the familiar melody, making subtle changes that made a strong impression, including a smooth modulation of the final high note on the word "free" into the closing section of "and the home of the brave.".
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In addition to the Spurs and Knicks players and coaches respectfully listening to the anthem, ABC's broadcast also showed the Marine Corps base in Okinawa, Japan, where U.S. military personnel were watching the game overseas.
Clearly, this isn't the first time Kelly has performed "The Star-Spangled Banner." She also performed the national anthem at the 2021 Kentucky Derby and even at the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match in 2024.
Kelly is no stranger to the basketball court, having been married to former German professional basketball player Andre Murillo since 2018.
Kelly's plans: The singer and songwriter will release her new album on June 12 God Must Really Love Me. The album's release follows the collaboration singles "Dive" and "Control," which were released last month.
Watch Kelly's performance of the national anthem below:
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