Toronto Raptors fans delivered a loud booing of the national anthem of the United States before the game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers at Scotiabank Arena.
The protest coincided with the recent imposition of tariffs by President Donald Trump on Canadian products, which has generated significant discontent in the country.
Initially, the fans of the only Canadian team in the NBA applauded the 15-year-old girl tasked with performing the anthems.
However, when she started to sing The Star-Spangled Banner, the atmosphere changed and the boos became evident.
At the end, the crowd erupted in cheers as they sang the Canadian anthem, O Canada.
Three of the five starters for the Raptors are American and could not hide their reactions to the situation. The forward Garrett Temple, a native of the U.S., acknowledged that the players were fully aware of the reason behind the protest:
"Yes, of course I noticed. It was a moment of surprise, but then you understand why," Temple stated.
"There are many things more important in the world than basketball. After all, we are playing in Canada, and Canadian citizens have their own perspective on trade and tariffs. What they did was express their opinion," he added
For his part, Canadian player Kelly Olynyk, who also plays for the Raptors, noted the impact that Trump's measures are having in his country.
“Obviously, the tariffs affect a lot of people in this country and many in this stadium. I felt sorry for the girl who was singing, but I was glad that she received applause at the end,” Olynyk said.
The game concluded with a victory for the Raptors, 115-108.
More boos in the NHL for the same reason
The discontent with Trump's new trade measures was not limited to basketball.
The night before, in the NHL, fans of the Ottawa Senators and the Calgary Flames also booed the U.S. anthem prior to their respective games against the Minnesota Wild and the Detroit Red Wings.
In Ottawa, the rejection became evident at the Canadian Tire Centre when the artist Mandia began to sing The Star-Spangled Banner.
The boos were a direct response to Washington's decision to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian imports, except for oil and gas, which will be taxed at 10%.
The impact of the measure has transcended the sports realm.
In response, the provinces of Nova Scotia and British Columbia have announced restrictions for U.S. companies on public contracts and have removed alcoholic products from the U.S. from sale.
Boos directed at the American anthem are an unusual occurrence at Canadian sporting events.
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