DALLAS (AP) – Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Tuesday that he decided before this season to start not playing the national anthem before the team’s home games.
The Mavericks played their first 10 games at home in the regular season without fans. The club had fans for the first time in Monday’s 127-122 victory over Minnesota. Dallas is allowing 1,500 essential vaccinated workers to watch the games for free.
Cuban gave no further details about his decision not to play the hymn, saying that no one noticed. Atlético reported for the first time that Dallas had abandoned the anthem.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank said: “In the unique circumstances of this season, teams are allowed to carry out their operations before the game as they see fit.”
Cuban was openly against criticism from NBA players and coaches who knelt during “The Star-Spangled Banner” when the 2019-20 season resumed in the Florida bubble last summer.
The national anthem before the game is a basic element of American sports, both at the professional and high school level, but it is much less common at professional sporting events in other countries.
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