SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Ten days ago, Gabriel Gordon posted a video of him on YouTube playing his violin to his version of the State Anthem of Ukraine. In just a few hours, he will be playing that same anthem at a Utah Jazz game, marking the first time in history that the NBA will be allowing another country’s anthem, aside from Canada’s, to be played.
Gordon, who has been playing the violin for 46 years, says it’s been his own personal mission to utilize music as a way of promoting peace throughout the world. Tonight, when the Jazz takes on the Portland Trailblazers, he’ll be able to do just that.
The league rules say that only national anthems from the United States and Canada are to be played but due to the overwhelming support of the Ukrainian people, an exception has been made.
Gordon spoke to Payden Adams, of the Utah Jazz, and within days, the league made the approval to allow the State anthem of Ukraine to be nationally televised on ESPN at 8 p.m. MST Wednesday.
Normally, the national anthem is not televised during games that are aired on television, unless it’s playoffs and finals time.
Adams received confirmation for the Ogden-based violinist to perform the anthem Monday.
This historic event will be televised on ESPN just before tip-off at 8:00 PM MST.
