Twenty-two years after her last national anthem performance before a Portland Trail Blazers game, Natalie Gilbert was back ...

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 ...

On the list of all-time NBA career assist leaders, Maurice Cheeks ranks 13th ... and were on the Blazers’ home floor as 13-year-old Natalie Gilbert was set to sing the national anthem for ...

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 ...

The Portland Trail Blazers brought back Natalie Gilbert (now Natalie Zito ... game before receiving an assist from then-coach Maurice Cheeks. “I loved it,” Zito said.

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.

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 ...

but Maurice took the other four people out of the game.” 8. And the Rockets’ Red Glare: Cheeks will long be remembered for coming to the aid of a young woman named Natalie Gilbert when she ...