Mark Cuban Says Mavericks Will No Longer Play National Anthem Before Games

The national anthem has become a hot topic in professional sports over the last several years. Ever since Colin Kaepernick began the #TakeaKnee movement back in 2016, the public has debated whether athletes should be forced to stand during the pre-game tradition or allowed to exercise their right to protest.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has seemingly found solution.

According to The Athletic’s Tim Cato, the franchise has stopped playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” completely. The outlet points out that the Mavericks have not featured the song before any of their home games this season. Some people noticed this during the Mavericks’ win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, which marked the first time a limited number of fans were allowed into American Airlines Center.

Cuban confirmed the national anthem decision to The Athletic on Monday night. The outlet reports some Mavericks staffers were unaware of the move, as it was reportedly “not announced or explained internally.”

The NBA rule book states that all “players, coaches and trainers must stand and line up in a dignified posture along the foul lines during the playing of the American and/or Canadian national anthems”; however, a league spokesperson told The Athletic that “under the unique circumstances of this season, teams are permitted to run their pregame operations as they see fit.”