Jason Kidd has broken his silence after his Mavericks exit.
The now-fired head coach thanked the Dallas organization, players and fans after five seasons with the team in a lengthy post to social media on Thursday.
“The last five years in Dallas have meant more to my family and me than I can fully put into words,” he wrote.
“… To the players, thank you for your trust, your commitment, and the battles we went through together. I am proud of what we built, the relationships formed, and the way you competed night in and night out.
“To the fans, thank you for embracing me and supporting this team with so much passion. Your energy, loyalty, and love for the Mavericks make Dallas one of the truly special places in sports. And to the city of Dallas, thank you for welcoming my family and me with open arms. The friendships and memories created here will stay with us forever.”
Kidd ended his statement by saying he leaves the Mavericks “with nothing but gratitude and respect for everyone who was part of this journey.”
Earlier this week, the Mavericks announced that they had “mutually agreed” to part ways with Kidd, who still had four years and more than $40 million left on his contract, after five seasons at the helm.
New president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said in a statement that he wanted to take the franchise in a different direction.
“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team,” Ujiri said. “We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention. We will conduct a thorough, disciplined search for our next head coach and continue to evaluate our entire basketball operations staff to ensure we compete at the standard Mavs fans expect and deserve.”
Kidd led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024 and the Western Conference finals in 2022, but was so-so otherwise, going 205-205 over his five-year run.
This season, with Luka Doncic on the Lakers after the Mavericks’ ill-fated 2025 trade and Cooper Flagg in his debut NBA season, Dallas went 26-56.
Kidd, who spent time as the Nets and Bucks head coach before his time with the Mavericks, is already being floated for other jobs.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Magic, who are also looking for a new head coach, had interest in Kidd in 2021, and are looking for an experienced voice to take the job.