The Dallas Mavericks stopped playing the national anthem before their games as locals by order of their owner, Mark Cuban, Confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.
The Mavericks do not plan to resume the tradition of playing the national anthem before games in the future.
Cuban, who declined to comment, made the decision after consulting with the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver. The Mavericks did not announce the policy change, but the national anthem has not been played before any of their 13 preseason and regular season games in the American Airlines Center this season.
No player, coach or staff from other teams has mentioned the change, according to a team source.
The NBA rulebook requires players to stand during the national anthem, but Silver has refused to enforce that rule, particularly because kneeling during the anthem became a popular way to protest the anthem. social injustice in recent years. The vast majority of NBA players and many coaches knelt during the national anthem at the NBA rematch last summer in Orlando, Florida, when the League incorporated messages of support for the move Black lives matter and other causes of social justice in runway design and other forms.
“I recognize that this is a very emotional issue on both sides of the equation in the United States right now, and I think it requires a real commitment rather than enforcing the rules,” Silver said during a press conference in December.
In an interview in June a Outside the ESPN Lines, Cuban expressed support for players kneeling during the national anthem as a form of protest.
“If they knelt down and were respectful, I would be proud of them. I wish I would join them,” Cuban said.
Cuban added then that he hoped the League would “allow players to do what is in their heart.”
“Whether they raise their arm, get on their knees, whatever, I don’t think it’s a matter of respect or disrespect for the flag, the anthem or our country,” Cuban said. “I think that’s more a reflection of our players’ commitment to this country and the fact that it’s so important to them that they’re willing to say what’s in their heart and do what they think is right.”
“I will give in to it [el comisionado] Adam [Silver] on any final decision i [la directora ejecutiva del sindicato de jugadores] Michele Roberts. But the reality is that I hope we let the players do exactly what they think is right. “Things to do.”
In 2017, Cuban expressed a different opinion after President Donald Trump criticized NFL players who knelt during the anthem to protest social injustice and police brutality.
“This is the United States and I’m proud of the people who speak civilly. That’s what we are as a country,” Cuban said at the time. “I will be standing here with my hand on my heart. I think the players will be [de pie]. I hope they are. “
Three years later, as the Black Lives Matter movement continued to grow, Cuban explained what changed his way of thinking.
“Because I think we’ve learned a lot since 2017,” he told OTL in June. “I think we have evolved as a country. And this is truly a unique moment in time when we can grow as a society, we can grow as a country and be much more inclusive and much more aware of the challenges facing minority communities. . Cross .
“So I’ll be in unison with our players, whatever they choose to do. But again, when our NBA players do what they have in their hearts, when they do what they feel it represents who they are and they look to do moving forward in this country “. when it comes to racial relationships, I think it’s a beautiful thing and I’ll be proud of them. ”