Dallas Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd Belittles Media With NSFW Rant
Dallas Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd appeared to have lost his cool, but arguably for the right reasons. Kidd, 52, was asked about the controversial decision to have the Mavericks’ rookie Cooper Flagg, a natural forward, play at point guard.
In the early stages of the 2025-26 NBA season, many fans and media members significantly criticized Kidd’s decision to have Flagg play as a point guard, even though Kidd assisted in Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s development as a point guard when he served as a Bucks coach from 2014-18.
The 19-year-old did not play the point guard position in his lone season at Duke from 2024-25. Any coach who experimented with a forward as a point guard was to be criticized, especially when it comes to a rookie.
Jason Kidd Belittles Media With NSFW Rant
When asked about the move, the coach didn’t hold back. He vehemently defended his decision, despite its controversial label to many individuals, and criticized the media’s criticism of his decisions.
“Criticism? That’s your opinion,” Kidd said, per the Dallas Hoops Journal’s Grant Afseth. “You guys write that bulls—. That’s not —- I’ve done this. I’ve played this game. I played it. I know what the f— I’m doing. I don’t give a f— what you guys write because you guys have never played the game. I build players, so I know what the f— I’m doing. So if I take criticism, it only makes me better, because if I wasn’t doing it right, you guys wouldn’t be poking holes in what I’ve done.”
Kidd’s statement to the media was unprofessional. However, he definitely got his point across to the general public. He had every right to be mad at all of the chatter within the NBA world. His statement was justified, as he’s a former NBA player who went on to have a successful coaching career in the league.
Kidd and the Future
Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks, including Flagg, have been showing glimpses following a slow start to the 2025-26 NBA season. It is important to note that this year’s Mavericks squad is injury-plagued, and without veteran star Kyrie Irving, and Flagg’s status as a first-year player, growing pains were expected.
But what else is important is that Kidd appeared to believe in Flagg like no one else and made the decision due to his previous experiences as a coach and a player. Kidd’s NBA career spanned from 1994 to 2013.
Experimenting with Antetokounmpo and Flagg at the point guard position turned out to be one of the best decisions that Kidd has ever made. Antetokounmpo grew into a complete player, while Flagg has been becoming a more versatile player.
Next Steps
Through the last two months, Flagg has been averaging 22 points and 4.6 assists per game. On the season, Flagg is averaging 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Flagg’s role as a point guard likely won’t be long-term, only until Irving returns to the court. Irving, now 33, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee on March 3, 2025.
