National Treasures

Here’s Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing the national anthem at the Staples Center Friday night before Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.



That got us to thinking of great national anthem performances of which everybody has their favorite. We think a lot of people will never forget Whitney Houston’s amazing turn at the Super Bowl back in 1991 between the Giants and the Bills as this nation was about to go to war to free Kuwait from Sadaam’s occupying Iraqi forces. Our choice, though, would be Marvin Gaye singing the anthem at the 1983 All-Star game at the Forum in Los Angeles. It was to be one of Gaye’s last public appearances as he was fatally shot by his father just a little over a year later.



The NBA, at first, tried to distance itself from the unconventional arrangement but later, as time passed, saw the brilliance (or dollar signs) and had included the performance in their NBA 50th anniversary celebration DVD.