Bryan Bautista walked to the center of the court Tuesday night, dressed in his usher uniform, not to direct traffic or help wayward fans. He was there to sing the national anthem ... and he killed it.
As Total Pro Sports noted...
Bryan Bautista was used to looking up at the crowd in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center during Brooklyn Nets games, but not as a performer.
He’s an usher, and he has been stationed on the floor during Nets games for practically the entire time the Barclays Center has been open. But at the Nets’ last home game of the season on Tuesday, he kicked things off with a stirring rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
After his performance, Bautista received personal congratulations from Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays and Irina Pavlova, president of Mikhail Prokhorov's ONEXIM Sports and Entertainment ... before returning to work.
Bautista previewed what the Nets plan for the playoffs ... having Brooklynites sing the anthem before games. On Monday, dozens of singers and musicians auditioned to perform the anthem in a spotlight on Brooklyn’s biggest stage for Nets playoff games. Most sang the anthem, but at least one played it on a violin!
- Brooklyn Residents Audition To Perform At Nets Playoff Games - Dave Carlin - WCBS
- Barclays Center Usher Sings National Anthem at Nets-Knicks Game (Video) - Total Pro Sports