The NBA released a statement on Wednesday declaring that all teams will now be required to play the National Anthem before 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 Base said in a statement.
Full statement from the NBA on mandating all teams to play the national anthem: pic.twitter.com/VeCIxLCpew
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 10, 2021
The announcement comes one day after Mavericks owner Mark Cuban decided to discontinue the practice in Dallas because he and the team believe The Star-Spangled Banner does not represent all communities.
Cuban told ESPN he made the decision to stop playing the national anthem after speaking with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Cuban had previously shared his thoughts about protests of the national anthem on Twitter.
“The National Anthem Police in this country are out of control,” he tweeted. “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.”
“I can say Black Lives Matter,” he said in another tweet. “I can say there is systemic racism in this country.”