Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban Has Instructed Team To Stop Playing National Anthem Before Games

Topline

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban revealed on Tuesday that he has instructed his team to stop playing the national anthem before all of its home games in the current season, a move that comes a few months after multiple players breached the NBA’s rulebook to kneel during the anthem in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and to protest against systemic racism in the U.S.

Key Facts

Key Background

The NBA’s rules require players to stand during the national anthem at games, but the league’s current commissioner, Adam Silver, recently said that the rule will not be strictly enforced during the current season. The league had chosen not to enforce the rule following the restart of its previous season behind closed doors at Walt Disney World after it had been paused by the Covid-19 outbreak. The season’s restart took place amidst mass protests across the United States in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and several top NBA stars decided to show their support by kneeling during the pre-game anthem. At the time, Cuban expressed support for the players’ decision to kneel and said he hoped to join them. So far, the Mavericks are the only team in the league who have stopped playing the national anthem. Other teams continue to play recorded versions of the anthem before games, which are taking place with several restrictions due to the pandemic.

Crucial Quote

In July last year, Cuban wrote in a now deleted tweet: “The National Anthem Police in this country are out of control. If you want to complain, complain to your boss and ask why they don’t play the National Anthem every day before you start work.”

Further Reading

Dallas Mavericks cease playing national anthem before games (The Athletic)

Dallas Mavericks have stopped playing national anthem before home games at owner Mark Cuban’s direction (ESPN)

Mark Cuban Says He Told Mavericks to Stop Playing Anthem (New York Times)