Mark Cuban calls 'national anthem police' out of control, drawing ire of Sen. Ted Cruz

Cassandra Negley
·WNBA and women's college basketball reporter
Updated ·3 min read
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Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has an answer for the “national anthem police” who take issue with athletes kneeling during the pre-game song.

Cuban called out both Mark Davis, a radio talk show host in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, and Sen. Ted Cruz, who got involved in the Twitter thread on Monday morning.

Cuban tells anthem critics to ‘complain to their boss’

Davis took to Twitter on Sunday night to voice his excitement for the Mavericks continuing their season in the NBA’s Disney World bubble.

“But the minute one player kneels during the anthem I am OUT,” Davis wrote. He tagged Mark Cuban, asking him to lead the way.

Cuban did lead the way, just not in the direction Davis wanted, and quote-tweeted it with “Bye.”

In a follow-up shortly afterward, Cuban suggested that the “national anthem police” who believe kneeling is disrespectful to the country should instead complain to their bosses.

“If you want to complain, complain to your boss and ask why they don’t play the National Anthem [sic] every day before you start work,” he wrote.

Cuban said in June “hopefully” he would join the Mavericks players in kneeling during the national anthem if that’s what they decided to do. The Mavs (40-27) are currently seventh in the West and restart their season July 31 against the Houston Rockets.

Ted Cruz goes after Cuban, who returns fire

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban watches on from behind the bench during the second half of an NBA game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on February 22, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban took on the 'national anthem police' and Sen. Ted Cruz on Twitter. ( Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

The conversation drew the attention of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Cruz took a screenshot of the original “bye tweet” and alleged that Cuban was telling off everyone who stood for the anthem.

Cuban took issue with not being tagged in the tweet or spoken to directly by Cruz.

And that started a sequence of tweets Monday morning by Cruz, a Rockets fan. He noted that the Senate starts every day with the pledge of allegiance, which is true, but isn’t the anthem. And it is only one example when the vast majority of employees do not hear the anthem at their place of employment in any way or fashion.

Cruz then asked for Cuban’s opinions on China, referencing the NBA’s remaining tensions with the country following Houston Rockets’ general manager Daryl Morey’s tweet in support of pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong. Cruz continued hours later to ask questions of Cuban on Twitter about Hong Kong and the players’ social justice jerseys.

[H/T For The Win]

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