On Wednesday, the NBA announced that all 30 of the league's teams are required to play the national anthem before games. This came after Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had previously decided that his team wasn't going to play the national anthem going forward.
During Thursday's installment of "Nothing Personal with David Samson," David Samson weighed in on the situation and broke down what exactly Cuban is trying to say by not wanting to play the national anthem prior to NBA games.
"You say the national anthem and sing it because you're respecting the very place that the event is taking place," Samson said. "I always found it interesting when countries that have no freedom play their anthem and celebrate that they have no freedom. They're celebrating the fact that they live in a dictatorship. We celebrate the fact that we live in what I still believe to be the greatest country in the world. What I believe Mark Cuban is saying is: 'I listen. I've spoken to people in our community who believe the national anthem doesn't represent them and their beliefs. I want their voices to be heard and I respect the fact that the song doesn't represent them. Therefore, we're not going to play it.'"
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, a source close to Cuban claimed that Cuban's decision to not play the national anthem stemmed from the fact that the anthem "doesn't represent them." However, just days after saying that he doesn't plan to play the national anthem, now every team is being mandated to play it before every game.
"With NBA teams now in 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 Bass said in a statement on Wednesday.
