A national anthem performance at a Golden State Warriors game has drawn criticism after the singer waved a small Pride flag during the song, prompting him to publicly respond to the backlash.
The moment occurred Thursday during the Warriors’ Pride Night game against the Miami Heat. Singer Jason Brock was performing the pregame national anthem when he reached the lyrics “What so proudly we hailed,” at which point he produced a small Pride flag, waved it, and nodded his head while continuing to sing.
Television cameras captured a muted reaction from the crowd, then panned to several Warriors players who appeared to be laughing during the moment.
Brock later addressed the reaction on X, pushing back on the suggestion that players were laughing at his actions during the anthem.
“Wow I didn’t interpret it like this, but I wasn’t watching the players,” Brock wrote. “Just because they were laughing doesn’t mean it was because of the anthem.”
The Warriors have not issued a statement regarding the performance or Brock’s remarks. The incident adds to a string of recent controversies involving the national anthem at professional sporting events, including scrutiny during this year’s WNBA Finals over how players conducted themselves during the anthem.
