DALLAS (AP) – Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said on Tuesday that he decided not to play the national anthem for the team’s home games before this season started.
The Mavericks played their first 10 home games in the regular season without fans. The club first had fans in Monday’s 127-122 win over Minnesota. Dallas allows 1,500 vaccinated essential workers to attend free games.
Cuban did not elaborate on his decision not to play the national anthem, saying that no one noticed. The Athletic first reported that Dallas dropped the national anthem.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank said, “This season’s unique conditions allow teams to conduct their pregame operations as they see fit.”
Cuban spoke out against critics of NBA players and coaches kneeling during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” when the 2019-20 season resumed in the Florida bubble last summer.
The pre-game anthem is a staple of American sports at both the professional and collegiate levels, but is much less common at professional sporting events in other countries.
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