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Before the Super Bowl, Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan sang the national anthem.

The somewhat idiosyncratic interpretation of the country singer and soul artist before the final of the NFL football league caused astonishment.

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is an integral part of the program at sporting events in the USA.

In the NBA, however, this tradition, which has previously appeared to be irrefutable, is being shaken.

Because at the home games of the Dallas Mavericks this season there will be no national anthem.

Mark Cuban, owner of the Mavs, confirmed this on Tuesday for the US news agency AP and "The Athletic".

He decided before the season that there would be no anthem.

The 127: 122 day before against the Minnesota Timberwolves was the first home game of Dirk Nowitzki's former team, when spectators were allowed to enter the American Airlines Center.

1500 vaccinated people watched the game.

They were people with systemically relevant jobs - they didn't have to pay an entrance fee.

Mark Cuban is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

The entrepreneur repeatedly flirted with a candidacy for US President

Credit: USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron

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Cuban, who is repeatedly associated with running for US president, did not explain his decision and said no one noticed the absence of the anthem.

Cuban's change of heart

The NBA basketball players in particular had kneeled while playing the anthem in recent months, protesting against racism and social injustice.

Cuban had rejected criticism and supported the players.

A change of heart.

In 2017, the billionaire had a different opinion after then-President Donald Trump criticized NFL players who kneeled during the anthem to protest social injustice and police brutality.

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“This is America, and I'm proud of people who speak up in civilized terms.

That is what we are as a country ”, Cuban emphasized at the time:“ I will stand there with my hand over my heart.

I think the players will stand.

I expect them to do that. "

Mavs want to do without the anthem permanently

Three years later, when the Black Lives Matter movement was at its preliminary peak, Cuban explained what changed his mind.

“I think we have learned a lot since 2017,” he said last June: “I think we have evolved as a country.

And this is really a unique time when we can grow as a society, we can grow as a country and become much more inclusive and become much more aware of the challenges minorities are going through. "

There will be no US anthem before the Mavericks games

Credit: USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron

A spokesman for the NBA quoted AP as saying: "Under the special circumstances of this season, teams are allowed to structure their pre-game routines as they see fit." to play before games to resume in the future.