Chaka Khan, 66, was chosen to sing the National Anthem at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 16, and she did not disappoint. The legendary singer showed off her incredible pipes as she belted out the United States’ Anthem, and she hit every note to perfection. The crowd and players, who gathered at the United Center in Chicago for the game, were mesmerized as Chaka belted out the song. Country singer, Tenille Arts, was also on-hand to sing “Oh, Canada.”
There was a ton of emotion in the air at this year’s NBA All-Star Game, as it took place just three weeks after legendary NBA star, Kobe Bryant, was tragically killed in a helicopter crash, alongside his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. Kobe, Gianna and the seven other victims of the crash were on everyone’s minds throughout the evening. The event even started with a special tribute performance from Jennifer Hudson, which had everyone tearing up.
The captains of the NBA All-Star game were LeBron James — whose team members all wore Gianna’s basketball number (2) — and Giannis Antetokounmpo — whose team members all wore LeBron’s basketball number (24). All of the jerseys also had a patch with nine stars on the shoulder, in honor of the nine people who died in the Jan. 26 crash.
Aside from Chaka, Tenille and Jennifer Hudson, there were even more performers in the building, as Chance the Rapper, Quavo, DJ Khaled and Lil Wayne were booked for the Halftime Show performance. The All-Star Game followed a weekend of NBA-related events in Chicago, included the Celebrity All-Star Game, Slam Dunk Contest and more.