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The NBA’s Dallas Mavericks became the first U.S. professional sports team to stop playing the national anthem before the game.
The owner, Mark Cuban, confirmed to Tim Cato, of TheAthletic.com, that none of the 13 pre-season and regular season home games this season featured the anthem. Cuban refused to elaborate or explain.
The Mavericks did not disclose the decision to stop playing the national anthem and TheAthletic.com apparently became the first media organization to notice on Monday night. This raises the question of why sports teams feel compelled to play the national anthem before the game and opens up a debate about whether or not they should.
An NBA spokesman told Cato that “under the unique circumstances of this season, teams are allowed to carry out their operations before the game as they see fit.”
NBA rules require players to stand during the anthem, but the league has not imposed it in recent years, allowing players to kneel in protest against social injustice.
So it’s worth noting whether other professional sports teams – or leagues – now follow the Mavericks’ example of abandoning the national anthem before the game.