Much of major league sports look mightily different in 2021 but that's due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which necessitates minimal fans in the stands, if any at all, to curb the spread of infections. It has certainly been odd to tune into games no matter what sport you're watching and not see masses of people cheering on their team.
To be sure, leagues and teams have had to make other adaptations and try new things to get back into action, in addition to the lack of fans packing arenas and stadiums. But that's not what led to a controversial decision by the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.