The NBA is no longer a sports league, it is a battle to for wokeness, and now the Dallas Mavericks are taking the top prize after the latest anti-American stunt by owner Mark Cuban.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed to ESPN Tuesday that his team will no longer play the National Anthem before home games.
The National Anthem has not been played before any of the Mavericks 13 preseason or regular-season games at the American Airlines Center this season
According to the NBA rulebook, players are required to stand during the National Anthem, but NBA commissioner Adam Silver has not enforced the rule.
“I recognize that this is a very emotional issue on both sides of the equation in America right now, and I think it calls for real engagement rather than rule enforcement,” Silver said during a news conference in December.
In a June interview on ESPN, Cuban said he was proud of his players for taking a knee during the National Anthem.
“If they were taking a knee and they were being respectful, I’d be proud of them. Hopefully I’d join them,” Cuban said.
Cuban added that he hopes the NBA will “let the players do exactly what they think is the right thing to do.”
“Whether it’s holding their arm up in the air, whether it’s taking a knee, whatever it is, I don’t think this is an issue of respect or disrespect to the flag or to the anthem or to our country,” Cuban said. “I think this is more a reflection of our players’ commitment to this country and the fact that it’s so important to them that they’re willing to say what’s in their heart and do what they think is right.”
“I’ll defer to [Silver] on any final judgments and [NBA executive director] Michele Roberts. But the reality is, my hope is we’ll let the players do exactly what they think is the right thing to do.”
