Twenty-two years after her last national anthem performance before a Portland Trail Blazers game, Natalie Gilbert was back Wednesday night to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" with Maurice Cheeks in ...

Natalie Gilbert returned to the Blazers' home ... Up stepped Portland's then-head coach Maurice Cheeks, who stood side-by-side with Gilbert to encourage her, saying, "C'mon," before singing ...

Two decades ago, Natalie Gilbert and Maurice Cheeks made national news for their chance encounter when 13-year-old Gilbert froze while singing ”The Star-Spangled Banner” before a playoff game ...

Maurice Cheeks had more than 7,000 assists in his ... he intervened to help Natalie Gilbert sing the national anthem before a Western Conference finals game. Gilbert, who was 13 at the time ...

Little Natalie Gilbert persisted on that night ... By inviting Zito to sing the national anthem Wednesday in front of former coach Maurice Cheeks, the Blazers won before the game even tipped ...

Natalie Gilbert, then 13 years old ... Fortunately, she had an eager helper in the form of then-Blazers head coach Maurice Cheeks, who stepped up and encouraged her to keep going.

When Maurice Cheeks was coach of the Trail Blazers ... Advertisement Just ask Natalie Zito (neé: Gilbert). On Wednesday night in Portland, she was back in the building that changed her life ...