The Dallas Stars of the NHL announced they will continue to play the national anthem before games after the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks said they would refrain from playing it.
“The playing of the national anthem is a time honored tradition and the Dallas Stars will continue to perform the Star Spangled Banner prior to our games at American Airlines Center,” the Stars posted on Twitter Wednesday afternoon. “As the only National Hockey League team in Texas, we are proud to represent our state and our country.”
We have issued the following statement regarding the National Anthem. pic.twitter.com/7ZR7HXMW73
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 10, 2021
The tweet comes amid controversy surrounding reports that the Dallas Mavericks, owned by billionaire Mark Cuban, would not be playing the anthem in their arena in the near future.
Cuban reportedly insisted that the move was not made because of a lack of patriotism but because some in the organization don’t feel the anthem represents them.
“Source close to Mark Cuban says decision to not play Anthem before Mavs games isn’t because they don’t love U.S., but because many feel anthem doesn’t represent them, and they want to continue discussion of how to represent people from all communities when honoring U.S. at game,” NBA reporter Shams Charania tweeted Wednesday.
Source close to Mark Cuban says decision to not play Anthem before Mavs games isn’t because they don’t love U.S., but because many feel anthem doesn’t represent them, and they want to continue discussion of how to represent people from all communities when honoring U.S. at game.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2021
Presumably in response to the news of Cuban’s position, the National Basketball Association announced later in the day on Wednesday that all teams would be required to play the 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,” Mike Bass, NBA chief communications officer, said in a statement.
The Mavericks are expected to adhere to that decision, according to the Athletic.
“We respect and always have respected the passion people have for the anthem and our country,” Cuban said in a statement. “I have always stood for the anthem with the hand over my heart — no matter where I hear it played. But we also hear the voices of those who do not feel the anthem represents them. We feel they also need to be respected and heard, because they have not been heard.”
“The hope is that those who feel passionate about the anthem being played will be just as passionate in listening to those who do not feel it represents them,” he added.
Kneeling for the national anthem and abstaining from the ceremony altogether was popularized in 2017 by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who took a knee in a move he says was motivated by perceived racial injustice in the United States.
Last year, several Dallas Stars players kneeled for both the American and Canadian national anthems in a move that the team said they fully supported.
