Flag, national anthem 'represents a lot of different things to different people': Ben Watson

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Ben Watson on anthem controversy: Flag, anthem 'represents a lot of different things to different people'

Former NFL player Ben Watson argues 'the larger issue' is whether we are 'willing to have a conversation about how different people view the flag differently.'

Former NFL tight end Ben Watson weighed in on Thursday on the controversy surrounding Mark Cuban’s decision to briefly ax the national anthem from the Dallas Mavericks’ pregame routine, telling "America’s Newsroom" the anthem and flag represents "a lot of different things to different people."

Watson went on to argue that "the larger issue" is whether we are "willing to have a conversation about how different people view the flag differently."

"Does the flag and the anthem mean the same thing to those who are from different backgrounds or different times and different spheres?" he asked.

Watson famously defended players standing during the national anthem when some others began kneeling to protest issues like racial injustice.

Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Mavericks, decided to briefly remove the national anthem from the team’s pregame routine amid concerns that "The Star-Spangled Banner" didn’t represent the community.

Jalen Brunson, who is in his third season with the Mavericks, said it meant a lot to see Cuban go to bat for the team and listen to their concerns.

Dallas played a pre-recorded "Star-Spangled Banner" before its game Wednesday night.

"It's indicative of what we've seen I guess over the last 12, 14 months," Watson said on Thursday, noting that "these things don't happen in a vacuum."

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"There is a lot of context here and so when we talk about Mark Cuban and his decision, my understanding … is that his decision was made because he had a courageous conversation with the community."

"I would assume that would include players, staff members [and] employees and I think there’s something there," he continued.

Cuban insisted to ESPN that he wasn’t trying to "cancel" the anthem.

"In listening to the community, there were quite a few people who voiced their concerns, really their fears that the national anthem did not fully represent them, that their voices were not being heard," Cuban said on "The Jump."

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"So we've had a lot of conversations about whether or not we should play the anthem," he continued. "And so during the first preseason game, we decided to not play it and just see what the response was, knowing that we were going to have ongoing conversations about it. We didn't make any decision to never play the national anthem then -- that wasn't the case at all. We didn't cancel the national anthem. We still had our flag flying proud up on the wall at the American Airlines Center and everybody had the opportunity to address it and pray to it or salute to it or whatever their feelings are."

On Wednesday, NBA Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass released a statement saying the association is requiring that all teams play the national anthem before games "in keeping with longstanding league policy."

"What Cuban, in his own words, was doing was really, I think, allowing space for some thought, for some conversation," Watson said.  

"I am glad that the NBA said we need to play the national anthem," he continued. 

"I believe we do need to play the national anthem, but what we truly need is a holistic conversation and we need to stop the hypocrisy of people that don't have the same energy to pursue the unity that they talk about with the flag when it comes to understanding maybe the differences of opinion surrounding that flag and surrounding the national anthem."

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"That's what it means to be an American," he stressed.

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.