'F*** No!' Fire Jason Kidd? Mavs Coach Cracks Open Can of Whoop-Ass on Critics
DALLAS - Given the the Dallas Mavericks’ season-long predicament - last year's Western Conference Finals success is on the precipice of failing to even make the NBA playoffs this season - it seems a fair question.
Unless you are Jason Kidd.
“Did you guys ask me that question last year?'' the Mavs coach said on Wednesday after a victory at the AAC keeps alive, if barely, Dallas' postseason hopes. "F**k no (you didn't). So why would you ask it now?
"I'm just asking. You didn't ask that question last year.''
Kidd is not only a basketball savant; he's also a smart enough fellow to understand the reason for the query, painful though it might be for the Hall-of-Famer ... and maybe even painful for any media members who don't particularly wish to see Kidd dumped.
Indeed, the peak of last year leading to the valley of this year has caused Kidd's boss, Mavs owner Mark Cuban, to have to address the issue. And for the record, Cuban says Kidd's job is not in danger, despite the team's disappointing perch (38-42) as it sits in 11th place in the Western Conference with two games remaining.
Said Cuban: “I don’t think it’s Kidd’s problem that we didn’t have an identity.''
DallasBasketball.com has written that contrary to the belief of some, there is not a "Luka Doncic vs. Kyrie Irving'' problem, but rather a problem with overall roster construction. Cuban seems to agree with that, saying "It was on me'' to oversee adjustments that would be successful.
For Kidd's part, he believes Luka and Kyrie will be successful together, given time.
"These two are meant to be together,'' Kidd said of the two superstars, the latter (Irving) having been added in a blockbuster trade at the deadline. "It just takes time ... These are not robots or AI; these are human beings.''
That same concept was central to Kidd's philosophical elaboration on why failure in sports is both disappointing and normal.
“Sometimes we fail, and it’s alright to fail,'' the coach said at his Wednesday presser. You learn from failure. Michael Jordan has failed. It drove him to be the best player in the world. No one is perfect. You have to learn from your failures.
“The greatest players in the world have all failed. They will tell you that. That’s what pushes them. If they didn’t fail, they would not have been great.”
Kidd said all of this while at the same time cracking open a can of something to drink ... and surely believing he was also opening up a can of whoop-ass on critics who he wishes would be a tad more understanding of the ups and downs of his business.
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