Michael Jordan’s ex-teammate, Etan Thomas, has questioned Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' decision to observe a moment of silence in honor of Charlie Kirk ahead of Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. Jones has always maintained that politics has no place in sports. He famously emphasized in 2017 that players employed by his team would be expected to stand with their “toes on the line” for the national anthem.He also instituted a written policy requiring players to stand during the national anthem and said those who did not adhere to it would be benched. Later that year, though, Jones joined his players in taking a knee on the field in response to Donald Trump’s criticism of the protests in the NFL.Since then, Jones has softened his stance on political expression, but his decision to observe a moment of silence for Kirk, a right-wing influencer who was fatally shot in Utah on Wednesday, contradicts his earlier comments. “Oh so now Jerry Jones is OK with mixing sports and politics?” Thomas wrote on X.Etan Thomas spent nine years in the NBA, initially playing alongside Michael Jordan on the Washington Wizards. He went on to play for the OKC Thunder and the Atlanta Hawks before retiring in 2011. Thomas played 409 games in the league, averaging 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds, shooting 51.3%.Michael Jordan’s influence is shaping Brian Schottenheimer's approach with the Dallas CowboysKnown for his intensity and competitiveness, Michael Jordan brought his best regardless of whether it was an official game or practice.Drawing from how Jordan approached the game, Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer has changed his team's attitude toward training, calling them an "excellent practice team" during a conversation with Sports Illustrated in August."I remember Michael Jordan talking about practice all the time—If you practice the right way … and then Kobe [Bryant] adopted it,” Schottenheimer said. "We can’t simulate a real game out here like basketball can, because we can’t tackle and things like that, but you can push it, and you can get to the edge."Only time will tell whether Schottenheimer's approach ultimately makes a difference. The Cowboys lost their season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles before defeating the New York Giants on Sunday.