Dallas Mavericks stop playing national anthem before games, NBA says all teams must play song
Last year, Mark Cuban said he hoped the NBA would let kneeling players 'do what's in their heart.'
Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, directed his basketball team to stop playing the national anthem before NBA games, but now must reverse course.
Cuban confirmed on Tuesday that his squad stopped playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before its tipoffs at the American Airlines Center, but he wouldn’t say at the time whether or not the move was permanent or would even last the entire season.
Shortly after reports emerged of the Mavericks decision, however, the NBA issued a statement saying that all teams are mandated to play the national anthem before games.
“With NBA teams now in process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy,” NBA Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass said on Wednesday, according to Sports Illustrated.
Cuban agreed with the league’s statement, telling the New York Times, “We are good with it.”
The Athletic was the first outlet to note the Mavs haven’t played the national anthem before any of its 13 home games so far this season. Cuban declined to comment on the report at the time, but he did confirm the team’s decision late Tuesday night.
According to a local report, the Mavericks notified the NBA about its decision and informed other teams, and the organization received no complaints from around the league.
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Monday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves was the first game played at American Airlines Center with fans in attendance since coronavirus pandemic restrictions led to the creation of Florida’s NBA bubble. The Mavericks dispensed free tickets to 1,500 front-line workers who have received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
During its first 16 seasons, the team played “God Bless America” before its games. However, the song choice changed to “The Star-Spangled Banner” when Ross Perot Jr. bought the franchise in 1996.
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Cuban, who owned the Mavericks since 2000, has been highly critical of those who have criticized the social-justice protests that have been taking place across the NBA and NFL for years.
At a press conference in December, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, “I recognize that this is a very emotional issue on both sides of the equation in America right now, and I think it calls for real engagement rather than rule enforcement.”
He has since not enforced NBA rules that require players to stand during the anthem.
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In an interview with ESPN last summer, Cuban said he hoped the league would allow players to “do what’s in their heart.”
“Whether it’s holding their arm up in the air, whether it’s taking a knee, whatever it is, I don’t think this is an issue of respect or disrespect to the flag or to the anthem or to our country,” Cuban said. “I think this is more a reflection of our players’ commitment to this country and the fact that it’s so important to them that they’re willing to say what’s in their heart and do what they think is right.”
The Mavericks were the first team in the NBA to suspend playing the anthem before games.
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