Dallas Mavericks owner calls out U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz: ‘Have some balls for once’
The national anthem debate took a Twitter turn on Monday when Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wrote a single word to talk radio host Mark Davis on Sunday: “Bye.”
The “Shark Tank” personality was responding to Davis’ tweet about being excited about the Mavericks’ restart, but added that “the minute one player kneels during the anthem, I am OUT,” which prompted Cuban to respond using only three letters.
Enter U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
Instead of tagging Cuban, Cruz took a screenshot of the billionaire’s quote tweet and added his own commentary.
This wasn’t lost on Cuban, who fired back at Cruz.
“Have some balls for once,” Cuban tweeted at the senator on Monday morning. “Speak to me. It’s my tweet.”
The hands-on Mavericks owner recently said that he would fully support his players taking a knee during the anthem.
“If they were taking a knee and they were being respectful, I’d be proud of them,” Cuban said to ESPN in June. “Hopefully I’d join them.”
While NBA rules state that players and coaching staff must stand for the national anthem, Cuban said he hopes the league can adapt.
“Whether it’s holding their arm up in the air, whether it’s taking a knee, whatever it is, I don’t think this is an issue of respect or disrespect to the flag or to the anthem or to our country,” Cuban said. “I think this is more a reflection of our players’ commitment to this country and the fact that it’s so important to them that they’re willing to say what’s in their heart and do what they think is right.”
Cuban has never been shy about his feelings for Cruz, and famously said that he would vote for Donald Trump over Cruz in 2016.
“I’d vote for him over Cruz because I think he’s the absolutely worst politician in Texas,” Cuban said, according to The Dallas Morning News. Cuban also made it clear that he wouldn’t be voting for Trump, either.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 9:20 AM with the headline "Dallas Mavericks owner calls out U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz: ‘Have some balls for once’."