THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO -- Episode 2492 -- Pictured: (l-r) Musician Natalie Gilbert and NBA Portland Trail Blazers' coach Maurice Cheeks during an interview with host Jay Leno on May 19, 2003 -- (Photo by:Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images) I saw this on X recently and had to smile. As it just so happens, I had caught Untold : Jail Blazers on Netflix. The documentary discussed the early 2000s Portland Trail Blazers and their quest for a title. It featured Rasheed Wallace, Bonzi Wells, Damon Stoudamire, and Shawn Kemp (but for reasons unexplained not Scottie Pippen). At the time, Maurice Cheeks was Portland’s assistant coach. He stepped up before the game on April 25, 2003 and helped a young performer sing the national anthem. In 2003, the most hated team in the NBA did the kindest thing anyone has ever done on a basketball court.April 25, 2003. Rose Garden, Portland. Game 3 of the first round against Dallas. The Blazers are down 2-0 and facing elimination from the moment they wake up.That Blazers… pic.twitter.com/UKHsdBpAm5— the Sports ON Tap (@thesportsontap) August 9, 2026 On March 2025, Maurice Cheeks came back to Portland, this time as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks. They invited Natalie Zito, née Gilbert — the same singer from 2003 — to perform the national anthem again. Now 35, Zito was a season ticket holder. A pretty nice feel-good story to fill your basketball-less summer. Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here. Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language. ...read more read less