Everything we know about Mark Cuban directing Mavericks to stop playing national anthem

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban hasn’t always been on the side of players on his team protesting during the national anthem.

It was back in 2017 that he said he would stand and have his hand over his heart, and that he “expects” his players to stand for The Star-Spangled Banner that would play before games, in the wake of what Colin Kaepernick and other athletes were doing in 2016.

But last June, he told ESPN’s Outside the Lines, “I think we’ve learned a lot since 2017. I think we’ve evolved as a country. And this is really a unique point in time where we can grow as a society, we can grow as a country and become far more inclusive.”

That has led to Cuban to stop playing the anthem before Mavericks home games this season. Here’s everything we know about that decision so far:

It turns out this hasn’t happened at home games at all this season. Per The Athletic, the 13 total games played at American Airlines Center haven’t included the national anthem before tip-off.

Likely because fans weren’t in attendance, but they were starting on Monday in a limited number. There’s also this from The Athletic’s Tim Cato:

Cuban didn’t want to publicize or explain his decision to remove the national anthem prior to Mavericks games, but there was an understanding someone would eventually notice. The league has determined Cuban is within his rights to make this decision. All we know right now is that games at the American Airlines Center will get going a little quicker than before.

Yes, he has. Last July, he roasted a radio host who said, “the minute one player kneels during the anthem, I am OUT.”

Cuban responded, “Bye” and then added this:

“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.”

That, in turn, ignited a back-and-forth with Texas senator Ted Cruz:

Correct. The rulebook says so, but NBA commissioner Adam Silver hasn’t enforced it, which we saw in the bubble at Disney World last year.

Mike Ehrmann/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports

The answer to that is what the NBA’s Tim Frank told the Associated Press: “Under the unique circumstances of this season, teams are permitted to run their pregame operations as they see fit.”