It wasn’t until this Wednesday that Jason Kidd addressed why he ditched the press this past Monday night after losing in overtime to Sacramento. The Dallas coach admitted that he was frustrated and he “needed some time to regroup” before speaking his mind in front of the media.
Before last night’s clash against Golden State, the Hall of Famer took his time to explain why he skipped the postgame media availability at the start of the week, saying he felt bad and simply wanted to avoid blurring out something he would later regret. Not only did his team lose the match, but fans were ejected for complaining about the Luka Doncic trade.
“I just needed a break,” Kidd shared this Wednesday before beating the Warriors in a tight contest. “We lost a tough game. We lost another player. So, I just needed some time to regroup and refocus and figure out how to put these pieces back together.”
Jason Kidd reveals the reason he didn’t address the media after the Mavericks’ last game #MFFL https://t.co/r1883EMCJg
— MavericksGameday (@MavericksSI) February 13, 2025
First thing that took a toll on him was the fact that Daniel Gafford had to leave the game early in the second quarter of their 129-128 defeat to the Kings, leaving the Mavericks with just one player taller than six-foot-8. This means 7-foot Kyle Kelley, who has only played six games in his NBA career, would get a chance.
Also, the controversy around trading out their main superstar to the Lakers last week has really taken an emotional toll on the team. Dallas general manager Nico Harrison traded him for All-Star center Anthony Davis, who left with a groin injury during his debut last Saturday.
That same night, power forward P.J. Washington also had to exit the match with an ankle sprain, while reserve center Dwight Powell is still out since January 20 due to a hip injury. “I’ve never seen anything like this in sport,” Kidd said.
While Harrison is currently in the eye of the storm after deciding to part ways with the Slovenian point guard during the trade deadline, even rival coach Steve Kerr has sympathy for him. “Seeing Nico go through stuff that he shouldn’t go through, it’s all kind of surreal, to be honest with you,” he said.
