Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Khan both performed at the 69th NBA All-Star game in Chicago, but fan reaction to the two superstars’ performances was very different.
Hudson delivered a powerful tribute to Kobe Bryant just before the start of the game. The 38-year-old Oscar- and Grammy-winning actress and singer performed an emotional rendition of the classic “For All We Know” as images of Bryant and his daughter Gianna played on a giant screen behind her.
Hudson was introduced by basketball icon Magic Johnson, who asked fans to “come together” to honor the late Los Angeles Lakers legend who died in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter on January 26, and former NBA Commissioner David Stern, who died on January 1. There was not a dry eye in the house after Hudson’s powerful pre-game performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UiHersOp_g
Unfortunately, fans weren’t feeling Chaka Khan’s national anthem quite as much. The music legend delivered a unique rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and she received some clapback on social media for changing the song’s melody.
Variety compared the “I’m Every Woman” singer’s national anthem to Fergie’s widely panned performance of the song two years ago. While Magic Johnson praised Khan’s “amazing” performance at the NBA game, others — including The Roots’ frontman Questlove — took to social media to react to the “weird” rendition.
In comments to the TNT’s Instagram post about Hudson’s powerful performance at the NBA All-Star game, some fans used the space to roast Chaka’s anthem rendition as they marveled over how she managed to top Fergie. When one person noted that Hudson’s performance had everyone crying like a baby, another fired back that they then got that “horrible” anthem.
“National anthem was garbage as f*ck,” one viewer wrote.
“That national anthem made my ears bleed,” another social media user added.
“Who let Chaka on the court?” a third chimed in.
“Thank God for JHud… damn that anthem was some cat killin,” another person added.
Variety noted that amid the backlash, many fans said the legendary Khan deserved respect no matter what “liberties” she took with the nation’s song.
Indeed, Khan seemed to tune out her critics as she attended the star-studded NBA game. The gorgeous 66-year-old Rufus alum posted a series of happy pics to Instagram as she enjoyed the day in her hometown. Khan sipped on Starbucks as she sat courtside with her cousin and her manager, and she later posed with stars Tiffany Haddish, Queen Latifah and Olympian Ben Simmons.
