I haven't really paid much attention to basketball since the Knicks absolutely blew it in the late 90s, but I'm very excited for Toronto that the Raptors have made it to the finals and I'm kind of rooting for them to win. The series is currently tied at one, with the Raptors and Golden State Warriors, each getting a win. The next few games happening in the Bay Area.
And who better to play the national anthem in the Bay Area than Metallica? They last performed at the finals in 2015 and will also be performing the U.S. anthem tonight (June 5th) at the Oracle Arena. Tip off is at 9pm eastern, so they will perform shortly before that.
Metallica commented:
“We love to support our local teams, so we’re very excited to be a part of our hometown Golden State Warriors’ pursuit of their fourth NBA championship in five years! Look for James and Kirk to hit the hardwood and kick off Game 3 tomorrow, June 5th, with their rendition of the U.S. National Anthem and award-winning country artist Tenille Artsperforming the Canadian National Anthem as the Warriors take on the Toronto Raptorsin Oakland at Oracle Arena. Tip off is at 9:00 PM Eastern / 6:00 PM Pacific, so be sure to tune in early to ABC in the U.S. and Sportsnet in Canada to watch!
Congratulations to the Warriors for competing in the NBA Finals five seasons in a row!! We are honored and proud to be on hand during this year’s quest. Go Dubs!”
Here's footage of the last time they performed the anthem:
