His name is trending - and he's not even playing basketball.
Grammy-nominated singer and Broadway star Avery Wilson is the man everyone is searching after performing the national anthem for Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City, as the New York Knicks looked to extend their lead over the San Antonio Spurs to 3-0.
Wilson, a former contestant on The Voice (Seasons 3 and 8), is an R&B singer and Broadway actor best known for playing the Scarecrow in the 2024 revival of The Wiz - a role that earned him a Grammy nomination for its cast recording.
So how did a Broadway star become the Knicks' biggest pre-game ritual? After performing at the Knicks' playoff opener in April, Wilson made such an impression on MSG Sports that he kept getting invited back. The numbers tell the rest: New York went 6-0 in games where Wilson sang the national anthem - and their only home playoff loss came the one night a scheduling conflict kept him off the stage.
Wilson himself has spoken about the unique energy of performing at The Garden. "I'm now realizing the amount of adrenaline and energy that comes from the audience and what their role is, actually, in the arena when you're at the game," he said.
Born Branden Avery Wilson on July 18, 1995, in Hamden, Connecticut, Wilson never saw himself as a singer - until his father overheard him and recognized the gift. His father began hosting open mic nights at the McDonald's locations he managed, giving his son a stage and their community a place to gather. A father believing in his son's God-given calling - that's a story worth telling.
Earlier in the Finals series, Tori Kelly performed before Game 1, while rising soul and jazz artist KELS handled Game 2. Wilson carried the moment into Game 3 with a city - and an arena full of thousands - believing his voice was part of something bigger.
Whether you call it good luck or something more, there is something powerful about a song that stills a crowd, unifies a city, and sends people into a game with hope. Avery Wilson has been doing exactly that - one anthem at a time.
