Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said they would not play the National Anthem before home games this season, and according to ESPN.com “Cuban, who declined further comment, made the decision after consulting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.”
The NBA released this statement on February 10, 2021:
NBA Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass issued the following statement today concerning the league’s rule on playing the national anthem:
“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.”
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban issued the following today regarding the national anthem:
“We respect and always have respected the passion people have for the anthem and our country. But we also loudly hear the voices of those who feel that the anthem does not represent them. We feel that their voices need to be respected and heard, because they have not been. Going forward, our hope is that people will take the same passion they have for this issue and apply the same amount of energy to listen to those who feel differently from them. Only then we can move forward and have courageous conversations that move this country forward and find what unites us.”