MINNEAPOLIS — Give Jason Kidd a break if he wants to brag. He won't do it outwardly, but he takes great pride in both himself and his Dallas Mavericks team for reaching the NBA Finals.
Few believed they would, but even if they decided to watch it, many believed Kidd would not be on the sidelines leading this franchise to an impressive playoff run.
Despite leading the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, he was considered by some to be in hot water in Dallas.
“Everyone changed their tune, changed their tone, I [to lead]”My job is to build something. Everybody's so caught up in this instant thing. It doesn't happen. Championship organizations aren't built overnight,” Kidd told Yahoo Sports on Thursday night after the Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the Western Conference finals.
Coach Kidd has his players believe they are behind despite their impressive run to the finals, a half-truth, half-motivational tactic to keep them on their toes.
“We like the underdog role, so it has to be that way,” Kidd said. “Boston has been that way before. Some people say we're just a bunch of guys who just get together and play on the field. It's great to see this bunch come together in a short amount of time and have belief. We're a great group of young guys.”
Kidd took a moment to catch his breath just before engaging in a lengthy celebration with new Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont. With the contract extension he signed three weeks ago still fresh, he appears to be worth the money.
“And for Nico [Harrison, Mavs president of basketball operations and general manager] “We were able to get Patrick to understand that with the contract extension before we even got past the first round,” Kidd said. “They believed in my abilities and they saw the impact I had on the team…”
“It's definitely a vote of confidence. I believed I was doing the right thing. You look at the roster and you see it's getting better. We've all gotten better.”
That's the problem: The NBA made its decision to pass on Kidd as a coach before he was fully developed. When he took over the aging and dwindling Brooklyn Nets in 2013-14, Kidd barely took the court. And yes, Kidd was inexperienced.
He was released by the Bucks midway through the 2017-18 season, but the Bucks improved the following season under head coach Mike Budenholzer, seemingly confirming that Kidd had been a drag on the team.
But putting the ball in Giannis Antetokounmpo's hands and accelerating his development that would later peak was not appreciated, and Kidd was still getting comfortable at his position vocally and tactically.
Kidd and Harrison found a roster that played to Kidd's strengths after the coach admitted to Yahoo Sports more than a year ago that Luka Doncic needed strong perimeter help. “My usage rate is so high, nobody is playing that,” he said. [sustain] that.”
They then acquired Kyrie Irving in the draft, then Derek Lively II, and added P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford at the deadline. Kidd is fully grateful for the way Harrison has built the team.
Kidd has a low voice but strong eye contact, is reserved but passionate, and it would be hard to see him as a strong leader if it weren't for three NBA Finals appearances as a player and two as a leader.
He can be emotional on the sideline, coaching players on defensive rotations and, in a rare display of emotion in a game against the Timberwolves in Dallas, pointed to the Dallas goal like a referee during a crucial fourth-quarter possession while the officials were discussing making the right call.
So when asked if he gets any personal satisfaction out of it, he tries to downplay it.
“It's amazing,” Kidd said. “I don't know what else to say.”
He's said plenty already and has plenty more to say in the coming weeks.
