Fans react to abysmal entertainment at NBA All-Star match

Singer Fergie performs the national anthem prior to an NBA All-Star basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Stop, it's already dead!

Unfortunately, nobody had the guts to tell that to Fergie as she sung — well, tried to sing — the American national anthem before the start of the NBA All-Star game in Los Angeles.

Hopefully the former Black Eyed Peas icon isn't planning on releasing another solo album anytime soon because after the hatchet job she dished up on the west coast we hardly think her CDs will be flying off the shelves — or off the iTunes charts.

Fergie butchered her rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner as everyone watching — and listening — cringed in unison. What we think was supposed to be her sultry, seductive interpretation of the number — breathless panting including — was more sinful than sexy.

Even the players couldn't hold back the laughter — Draymond Green's reaction summed it up best.

Draymond Green cracking up during Fergie’s national anthem 😭 pic.twitter.com/lPRTh7bmEy

— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) February 19, 2018

The marathon rendition went for more than two minutes and apart from leaving those at the Staples Centre with bleeding ears, it added another embarrassing asterisk to the pre-match entertainment which already had fans scratching their heads as actor Kevin Hart led a bizarre skit that also featured Adam DeVine, Queen Latifah, Rob Riggle and Ludacris.

Hart — fresh from his humiliating drunken escapades at the Super Bowl earlier this month — had a chance to restore some credibility. He swung, but he missed — by a long way.

Many thought it couldn't get worse than that, but once Fergie grabbed the microphone they realised just how wrong they were.

Kevin Hart: “I just engineered the biggest pre-game disaster in television history.”
Fergie: “Hold my beer.”

— Tim Ring (@timringTV) February 19, 2018

Fergie is singing quite possibly the worst sounding rendition of the National Anthem that I've ever heard in a big game setting. Awful. #NBAAllStar2018

— Evan Massey (@massey_evan) February 19, 2018

Dispensing with the usual East vs West format, the league is creating a new look to its annual showcase with teams picked regardless of geography.

Team LeBron: LeBron James, LaMarcus Aldridge, Bradley Beal, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Kevin Durant, Goran Dragic, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Victor Oladipo, Kemba Walker, Russell Westbrook.

Team Stephen: Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid, Draymond Green, James Harden, Al Horford, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry, Klay Thompson, Karl-Anthony Towns