Carl Lewis' accomplishments as an Olympic track & field athlete will never be overshadowed. His off-key rendition of the U.S. National Anthem before a 1993 NBA Finals game, however, came closest.
For those who don't remember the pitchy performance, you can revisit his rendition here. Today, sitting down with Oprah: Where Are They Now?, Carl says he doesn't regret singing one bit. "I'm actually glad it happened because it's a part of your journey," Carl says, "and the great thing about it, you know, is kids will come up and they'll say, 'Oh, I saw your anthem. Boy, I didn't realize you were that fast.'"
"I've been on interviews, and they'll just laugh it up and laugh it up, and I'll say, 'Isn't it funny, my anthem from 25 years ago has been seen by more people than your show, okay?'"
You won't find Carl sweating the laughter. "If that's what you want to define me as, that's more on you than me," Carl says. "The one thing I wanted to always be is Carl Lewis, and I've made it 55 years, so I'm the lucky one here."
Published 07/14/2016
