(RepublicanInformer.com)- When Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, told his NBA team to stop playing the national anthem before games, it sparked national outrage. And now, America’s top professional basketball league confirmed that teams will be required to play the anthem before games.
Take that, Cuban.
“With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy,” Mike Bass, the chief communications officer of the NBA confirmed.
The Mavericks will comply with the policy and play the national anthem tonight before playing host to Atlanta at American Airlines Center, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 10, 2021
Cuban is believed to have directed his team to stop playing the anthem to avoid controversy over the now-common practice of kneeling as it plays but said that he is “good with it” after it was announced they must play it.
“We respect and always have respected the passion people have for the anthem and our country,” he said. “I have always stood for the anthem with the hand over my heart, no matter where I hear it played. The hope is that those who feel passionate about the anthem being played will be just as passionate in listening to those who do not feel it represents them.”
Cuban told the New York Times that the initial decision to stop playing the national anthem was made by him and that he made the decision as far back as November.
Mark Cuban tells @NYTSports the decision to stop playing the national anthem at Mavs home games was his and that he “made it in November.”
More on the new policy, first reported by @tim_cato … which marks the second spell in team history with no anthem: https://t.co/BIcdjTl70Y
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 10, 2021
Fans began attending games again on Monday, bringing the issue back to the table, and the decision by the NBA to require the anthem to be played might help avoid ratings completely crashing…though things don’t look great as it stands.
