Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban did not play the National Anthem at his team’s home games … [+]
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Over the past few years, there has been debate over whether or not players in any American sport should be forced to stand for the National Anthem, or allowed to kneel or exhibiting movement or other form of emotion.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has decided to take this debate in a different direction, deciding not to play the Anthem at home games this season or move on. forward, he confirmed to Tim Cato of The Athletic in a bombshell story Tuesday. The Mavs are believed, according to the report, to be the first team in North American professional sports to do away with the Star Spangled Banner.
Fans were licensed at the American Airlines Dallas Center for the first time on Monday’s win over the Minensota Timberwolves and the Anthem was not played before that game just like the 12 regular and preseason games before this season. Cuba and the team refused to further discuss the matter for Athletic. An NBA spokesman told the Athletic that teams can run this season, including the Anthem, as they see fit.
Mavericks’ home at American Airlines Center allowed fans to enter for the first time Monday. AP … [+]
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In an interview in June on ESPN SportsCenter, Cuban said the NBA should change its rule requiring players to stand for the Anthem amid Black Lives Matter as several social justice movements grow in popularity and momentum over the summer. That rule was indeed set at the end of the season at the Orlando bubble.
“We hope to change again and hopefully let players do what is in their hearts,” Cuban told ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap, “does he keep his arm up in the air, no matter what he kneels. If they bowed and respected, I would be proud of them. I hope to join them. “
A week later, in a conversation in June with former NBA player Caron Butler, as part of the league’s #NBAVoices series, Cuban discussed the BLM complaint move and how it made him think about the Promise of Obedience He Would saying every day at school.
“And going back to it, freedom and justice for all. That is what this flag should be for all of us, ”he said. “And so when people are on their knees, when people stand up and complain, that’s exactly what we promised to do in school.”
Now it looks like Cuban has decided to get away with the National Anthem altogether, trying to move for decades and that could open the team and the league to another wave of controversy now to this news is confirmed.