Getty Image
We now know why Mark Cuban decided to stop playing the national anthem before Mavs games.
On Tuesday night, it was revealed that the team hadn’t played the anthem during their first 13 home games without much explanation.
Mark Cuban decided before the season the Mavericks would no longer play the national anthem, and it hasn't been before any of the team's 13 home games.
It's the first instance we know of a pro sports team striking the U.S. anthem from the pre-game. https://t.co/VaReFVCu4U
— tim cato (@tim_cato) February 10, 2021
Via The Athletic
The Dallas Mavericks have ceased playing the national anthem before home games this season and do not plan to play it moving forward, a decision made by owner Mark Cuban that he confirmed to The Athletic on Monday evening.
None of 13 preseason and regular-season games played at the American Airlines Center this season have featured the anthem before the game, including Monday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the first played this season with a limited amount of fans in attendance.
The Mavericks did not publicize the anthem’s removal, and The Athletic was the first media organization to reach out about the change after noticing its absence on Monday. Multiple team employees described only noticing the anthem’s removal on their own, as it was also not announced or explained internally.
On Wednesday morning The Athletic’s Shams Charania is reporting that Cuban is telling people around him that he stopped playing the anthem because “many feel anthem doesn’t represent them.”
Source close to Mark Cuban says decision to not play Anthem before Mavs games isn’t because they don’t love U.S., but because many feel anthem doesn’t represent them, and they want to continue discussion of how to represent people from all communities when honoring U.S. at game.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2021
Over the summer, Cuban was vocal in his support of players deciding to kneel during the anthem to shed light on racial injustice in the country.
Cuban has yet to publicly comment on why he chose to stop playing the anthem, but I’m sure we’ll hear from him soon.