Mark Cuban Isn’t Playing the National Anthem Before Mavericks’ Home Games

Until Monday, no fans were permitted in the American Airlines Center. There had been 13 games played this season (including preseason), which is probably why this has only just been brought to light.

Although Cuban never gave clear reasoning as to why he discontinued the National Anthem, one of his tweets from back in July gives some context: “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.”

Clearly, Mark Cuban isn’t a fan of people that criticize everything about the National Anthem, whether it be kneeling, locking arms, etc. so he decided to get rid of it altogether. The NBA determined that this isn’t an issue, and I don’t think it is either. At the end of the day, it’s his team and his decision.

The way I see it, this takes a controversial topic out of the equation, which could be an attempt to make basketball solely about basketball. There are plenty of fans that would rather not drag politics into sports, and this could end up starting a wave that spreads throughout the NBA and other leagues. It wouldn’t surprise me if one day we look at the National Anthem as a thing of the past when it comes to sports.