He’s not Kidd-ing around.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd unleashed an expletive-filled tirade following Dallas’ 111-107 loss to the Rockets on Saturday after being asked about “national criticism” surrounding his usage of teenage phenom Cooper Flagg.
The lanky 6-foot-9 rookie, selected first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Duke, has spent much of the season playing point guard despite being a natural forward.
“I don’t give a s–t about the criticism. Criticism? That’s your opinion. You guys write that bulls–t,” Kidd shot back during his postgame press conference. “That’s not … I’ve done this. I’ve played this game. I’ve played it at a very high level. I know what the f—k I’m doing.
“But I don’t give a f–k what you guys write. Because you guys have never played the game. And so, I build players. So, I know what the f—k I’m doing. So, to 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.”
The Hall of Famer and Nets legend refused to answer further questions before storming off.
The 19-year-old Flagg struggled at the beginning of the season as the Mavericks’ starting point guard with superstar Kyrie Irving still recovering from a torn ACL.
The Mavericks also experimented with former Nets guard D’Angelo Russell at the position, but moving Flagg off the ball has paid dividends in recent contests.
Fresh off a historic 49-point outing Thursday — the most points scored in a single game by a teenager in NBA history — Flagg followed it up with another gem Saturday, posting 34 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.
Flagg’s 83 points are the most totaled by a teenager over a two-game stretch in NBA history.
In 45 games this season, Flagg is averaging 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Mavericks, and has notched a double-double in three of his past four contests.
Those performances have not translated to wins, however, as Dallas has dropped four straight.
Kidd, in his fifth season as Mavericks head coach, also blasted the officiating in Saturday’s loss, particularly on Flagg’s potential game-tying layup at the end of regulation.
“I saw a foul,” Kidd fumed. “[Officials] Sean [Wright], Simone [Jelks] and Jason [Goldenberg] were awful tonight. The referees were unacceptable. It’s a foul, and he needs to be at the free-throw line.
“Now, does he make both? That’s up to the player, but the referees did not do their job. They were terrible.”
Dallas’ season has been defined by injuries and inconsistency. The Mavericks occupy 11th place in the Western Conference at 19-30, four games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the final play-in spot.
Star forward Anthony Davis — acquired in the shocking Luka Doncic trade last season — has been sidelined for much of the year with a slew of injuries amid a flurry of trade rumors.
