Carl Lewis is among the greatest sporting legends in the world of track and field. His reputation as one of the best sprinters of all time remains intact. But one thing that the former 100-meter Olympic champion is certainly not is a singer!

This fact was driven home, or more appropriately, sounded home when he performed the US national anthem at an NBA game between the Chicago Bulls and the New Jersey Nets on January 21st, 1993. Lewis’ rendition of the American national anthem has become legendary, but for the wrong reasons.

In 1993, Lewis was already an icon with eight Olympic golds to his name; He would go on to win another one – his last – in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The two-time 100-meter champion was also starting to make a mark in the field of entertainment by then. So, it wasn’t surprising that he was accorded the honor of performing his rendition of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ before this NBA match.

The match was played at the Brendan Byrne Arena in New Jersey. How bad Lewis’ singing was can be gauged by the reaction of the crowd and the players. He was booed vehemently by the fans and the players seemed hard-pressed to suppress their laughter.

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Lewis’ own recollection

The track and field legend knew that things were going wrong. He said, “uh oh,” at one stage and a little later, even tried to reassure the crowd by saying, “I’ll make up for it now.” Well, he couldn’t. In the annals of the most embarrassing performances of the US national anthem at sporting events, this incident features prominently.

Despite so many years that have gone by, people still view this video for comic relief. In an otherwise successful career as a sporting icon, this event features as an forgettable memory.

But the legendary sprinter and long-jumper isn’t too perturbed by the events of that day. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, he talked about seeing the funny side of the whole episode.

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“I’m actually glad it happened, because it’s part of your journey. And the great thing about it, you know, (is) kids would come up and they’ll say: ‘oh, I saw your anthem and I didn’t realise you were that fast,‘” he stated on the show ‘Oprah: Where Are They Now?’

Lewis is in good company, as his isn’t the most infamous rendition of the National Anthem after all. From the likes of Christina Aguilera, Michael Bolton, to Fergie, all have had their own struggles with the patriotic masterpiece. So, Lewis can be forgiven for his effort. Though people aren’t likely to forget it!