Mavericks Coach Jason Kidd Responds to Criticism
Jason Kidd, the head coach of the Mavericks, went on a heated rant filled with expletives following Dallas’ 111-107 defeat to the Rockets on Saturday. This outburst came after he was asked about the “national criticism” surrounding the use of rookie Cooper Flagg.
At 6-foot-9, Flagg was picked first overall by Duke in the 2025 NBA Draft and has mostly played as a point guard, even though he’s naturally a forward.
“I don’t pay attention to criticism. That’s just your opinion. You guys write whatever,” Kidd responded in the post-game press conference. “I’ve done this before; I’ve played at a high level and I know what I’m doing.” He added, “I really don’t care what’s written because you haven’t played the game. I know how to develop players, and criticism just fuels me to improve. Even if I make mistakes, your narratives don’t affect my methods.”
After that, the Hall of Famer chose not to entertain further questions and left the press room.
Cooper Flagg, 19, has faced challenges as the starting point guard for the Mavericks, particularly alongside star Kyrie Irving, who is still healing from a torn ACL. The team has also tried out D’Angelo Russell in that role, but moving Flagg off the ball has recently been beneficial.
After scoring a record-breaking 49 points on Thursday—the most by a teenager in a single NBA game—Flagg outdid himself, posting 34 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists on Saturday. His total of 83 points in two consecutive games marks the highest for any teenager in NBA history.
This season, Flagg has played in 45 games, averaging 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, with three double-doubles in the last four games. Yet, despite these impressive stats, the team’s results have not improved, as they’ve lost four straight matches.
Kidd, now in his fifth year as the Mavericks’ head coach, also criticized the referees for their performance in Saturday’s game, particularly regarding a potential tying layup that was affected by a foul late in the game.
“I saw the foul,” Kidd expressed indignantly. “[Referees] Sean, Simone, and Jason were awful tonight. It’s clear it was a foul, and that should have sent him to the free-throw line.” He went on, “Whether he makes those shots? Well, that’s up to the players, but the referees didn’t do their job.”
This season has been riddled with injuries and inconsistencies for the Mavericks, who currently sit at 11th place in the Western Conference with a record of 19-30, trailing the Los Angeles Clippers by four games for the last play-in spot.
Star forward Anthony Davis, who was brought in via a surprise trade for Luka Doncic, has struggled with injuries much of this season amid ongoing trade speculations.
