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NBA Shuts Down Mavs Owner: ‘All Teams’ Must Play Anthem Before Games

Mark Cuban said earlier Wednesday that his team would no longer play the national anthem before games this season.

The NBA has intervened after Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said his team would no longer play the national anthem ahead of games. “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,” NBA Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass said in a statement on Wednesday. Cuban has been outspoken about supporting players who kneel during the anthem to protest racial inequality. On Tuesday, an NBA spokesperson told The Athletic that teams could adjust their pregame routines given the “unique circumstances of this season.”

After they appeared to walk that back on Wednesday, Cuban said the anthem would play ahead of the Mavs’ game on Wednesday. “We respect and have always respected the passion people have for the anthem and our country,” Cuban said in a statement. But, he added, he “loudly hear[s] the voices of those who feel the anthem does not represent them.”