Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban Cancels the National Anthem

The Athletic reports that billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has canceled the National Anthem at the NBA team’s home games.

The Dallas Mavericks have ceased playing the national anthem before home games this season and do not plan to play it moving forward, a decision made by owner Mark Cuban that he confirmed to The Athletic on Monday evening.

The Mavericks have played 13 pre-season and regular season games at home in Dallas without playing the anthem. There was no discussion or internal organization announcement, and Cuban confirmed he made the decision. He has declined further comment.

Cuban has criticized Americans who want to see the National Anthem respected, and not used for political protests at sports games. Cuban tweeted a shot last year at the “The National Anthem Police,” saying that if critics of the anthem protests had a problem with it they could “complain to your boss and ask why they don’t play the National Anthem every day before you start work.”

We’re not all multimillionaires benefiting from tax breaks to build our toy sets as Cuban has, so his analogy really doesn’t work.

Cuban has since deleted his “National Anthem Police” tweet.