No matter which team wins the NBA Championship, it was Usher who was the star of the night before Game 4 of the Finals on Thursday.
The Grammy-winning singer took to the court at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, and nailed the National Anthem, sparking a standing ovation from the fans.
A self-confessed LeBron James fan who also owns 2 percent of the team, Usher was introduced as an “esteemed member of the Cleveland Cavaliers” family and belted out every note with slow and steady perfection before his favorite player took on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
His impressive performance followed in the footsteps of country rockers Rascal Flatts, who performed “The Star Spangled Banner” in a very different style on Tuesday.
Usher won some high-profile fans of his own, with Hollywood stars such as Steve Martin praising his performance.
https://twitter.com/SteveMartinToGo/status/609166282408091648
From someone who hears a lot of anthems…@Usher, top 3. #NBAFinals2015
— Mike Gorman (@celticsvoice) June 12, 2015
The NBA Finals are airing live on ABC, with Game 5 scheduled for Sunday at 5 p.m. PT.
Watch the video above.