Haven’t you heard of any protests from the national anthem at the Mavericks games? There is a good reason for this: Dallas is not and will no longer play “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
Mark Cuban told The Athletic that it was his decision to eliminate the tradition of playing the anthem before the games. The change went unnoticed during the first 13 combined preseason and regular season games at the American Airlines Center because the Mavericks did not disclose this, either within the organization or through an advertisement to the media. Monday marked the first game in which the Mavericks allowed a limited number of fans in their arena.
Cuban has expressed his support for those who wish to kneel during the execution of the national anthem, a practice that former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started in 2016 and has become a lightning rod for political party debate.
The frank owner of Mavericks told ESPN last July about the potential for his team’s players to kneel during the anthem: “If they were on their knees and were respectful, I would be proud of them” and that he hoped so “Join to them. “Later, he tweeted, in response to what he called the” National Anthem Police, “that if critics of the nonviolent protest against systemic racism in the United States objected, they could” complain to their boss and ask for that they don’t play the National Anthem every day before they start working. “
While NBA rules require players to stand up during the performance of the anthem, Commissioner Adam Silver chose to ignore the rule to support his players’ decisions to express themselves.
“I recognize that this is a very emotional issue on both sides of the equation in America right now,” said Silver during a news conference in December, “and I think it requires real involvement, rather than application of rules.”