Here's why LeBron James was holding back laughter during national anthem at NBA All-Star Game

By Jacob Calvin Meyer - The Washington Times - Monday, February 21, 2022

Before he hit the game-winning shot at the NBA All-Star Game, LeBron James got a case of the giggles.

During the national anthem, the camera panned to James, who had returned home to Cleveland for the game, to show the four-time NBA champion trying his darnedest to hold back laughter. It appeared to most online that the unconventional rendition of the anthem by Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Macy Gray was the cause of James’ chuckling.

LeBron trying to stop himself from laughing 💀 pic.twitter.com/9OjVSXTNDY
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) February 21, 2022

It wouldn’t be the first time an NBA player couldn’t keep a straight face during a pre-All-Star Game anthem performance. In 2018, several players, including James, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, were laughing during Fergie’s performance of the anthem.

Throwback To When Fergie Sang The National Anthem At The 2018 NBA All-Star Game pic.twitter.com/O1IAUi4wiW
— MJ 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭 (@mjtreyfivekay) February 21, 2022

However, the end of the All-Star Game Sunday ended the same way it started, as James got the last laugh among his peers by hitting the game-winning shot to put Team LeBron over Team Durant 163-160.