Dallas Mavericks’ Jason Kidd Interview Before NBA Finals vs Boston Celtics – Sunday

Dallas Mavericks’ Jason Kidd Interview Before NBA Finals vs Boston Celtics – Sunday

Jason you have an opportunity to do what only seven other players have done and that is to bring a championship to Dallas as player and a head coach what does that mean to you to the city of Dallas and then just to have that part of hisory your career yeah I think it’s it’s a incredible thing to to be able to hopefully achieve um but I’m just very thankful uh for you know one Cuban um bringing me on board um and then also being being able to work with Nico and now our our new ownership uh with Patrick and so um again it’s just uh with a great group of leaders um we’re in a great City uh when you talk about sports so and then you talk about our team when you talk about Luca and Kai um in the rest of the group it’s it’s an incredible opportunity and I’m just very fortunate to be in this seat what has DK Jones been to you guys not just on offense but defense also yeah well I I think it’s uh you know when you talk about D Jones it’s not just one thing it’s just his character of who he is um he’s about playing the game the right way uh he was given a a chance and he took full advantage of it uh he never complains um he he does his job at a high level um and is really appreciative of the opportunity and uh when you talk to him and you get to know him I mean he’s very consistent with his messaging that he just wants to win and be a part of it and uh and he’s definitely a part of it he’s definitely helped us win and so we’re very lucky to have him no matter if he was signed first or last when it comes to free agency uh he’s become a big part of uh of the Mavs culture uh you’ll talk about defense but also he’s shooting three at a high clip uh is athleticism um and we joked about it at the beginning of the Season that you know now we can participate in the layup line um we can we we have athletes who can dunk and he’s part of that athletic crew 13 years ago today you and your team on a 22 to5 run to tie the NBA Finals at One games of peace with Miami you guys obviously didn’t give up that day what parallels do you see from that team to this team that are similar to what you experienced yeah I think uh this team is you know about um adjustments it’s about learning um you know from one game or one possession to the next uh this team is very steady um we don’t get up too high or we don’t get down too low we we just love to compete in the competition um and that’s not saying that we’re going to win every game or win every quarter um but um we learn from that and and we bounce back and uh we we put our best foot forward in that next uh quarter or that next opportunity that we have and so it’s a great group to be around um seeing that last night uh at dinner um guys had a really good time um and just you know it’s just it’s really simple we keep things simple um and they and they thrive in that situation and it’s it’s fun to be around those guys as like how big is the scatter board do you is it is it an over is it an overload what do what do you try to get ACR to that and just your staff too yeah I think for the staff it’s it can be a little complex but um but for the players right now it’s it’s really simple uh we’ve been just really uh the last couple days we’ve been off um mentally and physically to uh to get to get ready uh for Boston uh today was about us um we we didn’t talk or do anything about Boston that that will start tomorrow and so um really it’s been more for the coaches uh to get ready um but for the players uh again we will keep it simple and uh again in the last three series uh come up with a game plan and and be you know ready to execute and then be be ready to Pivot if something’s not working yeah they’re they’re going to you know they’re well coached Joe is one of the best coaches in this league you look at uh they’ve been there before um they have uh talented uh players Del if you want to look at two if you want to look at three if you want to look at five uh they have quite a few guys who can play the game uh they shoot the three extremely well uh defensively uh they have great hands uh they can guard um and so um they cause a problem that’s why they’re one of the best uh in in the league um and so um we got our work cut out um and we’ll see what happens the circus of the finals is so much different than normal everyday NBA so what are you telling these guys who you have so many guys who haven’t been through it what’s kind of the mess through it same messaging as the Western Conference in the first round and second round it’s just basketball it’s just more of you guys um that have more opinions uh but it’s it to enjoy it to uh because you’re not guaranteed that to to be here every year uh to understand that there’s one goal and that’s to to win a championship and there’s only two teams left and we’re one of them and so to take pride in that but to enjoy it um and to understand uh it’s not going to be easy this is the hardest thing to do as much as we said uh the last round is the hardest thing um you know so for this uh to to enjoy this uh the atmosphere to enjoy the media the attention um and to uh to be ready to do your job and that’s the final way to win on the road are you going to be able to enjoy this uh I’ve been enjoying it can’t you tell um speaking of us guys and GS last April of last year you had the answer some pretty tough questions from us for a variety of reasons is there any personal vation for you in this no you guys ask all the tough questions these are tough questions uh no everybody has their their right to their opinion that that’s just that’s fair and that’s just you guys are doing your job uh as the head coach of the mass I’m doing my job there tough questions last year tough questions uh that will come from this series I will give you the answer some will like it some will not um but my job is to help these young men um get paid and also to find a way to win a championship and uh and I’ve done that um since I was a player and since I’ve been a coach there’s a lot of people who have gotten paid uh from just listening to what I’ve asked him to do um as a player and then also as a coach so now we have an opportunity to win a championship two out of three years we’ve gone to the Western Conference Finals um some would say that’s pretty cool some will say that that’s failure but that’s just that’s just the way you know it goes um you’re not going to make everybody happy um but I know um um you know how to win um I’ve done that since elementary school to to the highest level I’ve won gold medals I’ve won championships and so um and I’ve won a championship as a coach assistant coach um and so um now I get the opportunity to do it hopefully as a head coach Jason is very that a team missed the playoffs one year in the very next season get to the in what does that mean to you you guys ready to accom we had a plan you guys just didn’t know it yeah we got dive and omx it’s all right to fail I said that before it’s how how you fail and we were in the lottery and we got a piece that was huge in D live and then we actually get another piece in omx and so it’s all right you know you can’t win a championship every year but how do you build a championship organization Dallas hasn’t been in that situation in a long time and and Nico and Patrick are doing that and and I’m just happy to be a part of it um but again we went the first year I was here we went to the Western Conference Finals hadn’t been there in a long long time but we acted like we were there every year but we weren’t but now we’re starting to build something and it’s kind of fun to be a part of and uh that doesn’t mean you’re going to win a championship every year but if you can participate and play for one that’s fun and uh and that’s what we’re trying to build hereon of toally different circumstances yeah we’re going to definitely will’ll watch them and see what you know they’ve done against us and what we’ve done to have success um and what didn’t work um but um just like I watched the preseason games of when we were in Abu Dhabi against Minnesota two different teams um I thought Minnesota was really really good then I thought we were in a little trouble um but when you look at you know with dive and Minnesota and Abu Dhabi and the growth that he had and so the teams are different uh both teams have grown up both teams are playing great basketball at this point so um but you will look we will look at the tape and see what you know success they had against our defense and if we had any success against their defense and we’ll try to see if we can uh get to that more than they can you’re the guy who sits in that chair and gets the accolades and also the what accolades I’m I’m just joking joking joking joking joking you so but Midway you know the trade deadline guys team in a large way you changed the way you guys play I wonder in terms of the whole coaching staff working together how much revamping was actually done how much of that was you know how difficult was that and how much credit should your staff be getting on as well yeah I think the staff should get a lot of credit um because they they uh have worked extremely hard this year um we joked about it early in the season our defense was our offense it was we were playing offense at a high level we were scoring a lot of points um and then we uh made a a a roster change um the league made a roster change physicality is part of it and and we we adapted to that and we we embraced the physic physical play um and we used it to our advantage and and that helped us and so um our my staff works extremely hard um but again um they love they love coaching they love uh improving the young players the development um sometimes we’ll go unnoticed but they spent a lot of hours in the gym uh in helping these young fell young guys you know when you look at Hardy omx you know Lively um you know being able to work um and then there’s a trust factor that those guys have with the staff that they trust what they’re selling um because they’re doing it at a very high level how that compared to what maybe your reason expectations were yeah I think um when we got Lively we we felt that it was going to you know fill one of the holes that um Luca was looking for you know a vertical guy um had some um similarities to Tyson um when you talk um not just his physical or um his build but his voice um you know as a rookie he talked a little bit more um than normal and so uh you could see the future of him being the anchor of the defense the future just happened to come a lot faster um after Abu Dhabi in Madrid um you could see that uh he he wanted to be the sponge he wanted that responsibility and sometimes um you know young players will shy away from that but he uh ran to it and uh and and to be able to you know rim run there’s no plays called for him he just he’s he benefits from Luca and Kai getting downhill um and then on on the defensive end or take that back offensively missed shots given us he’s gotten some big offensive rebounds for us um throughout the season and so his growth of offense understanding you know sometimes in a basketball the plays and ran for you you going to a different team uh but for him he just plays his role does his job at a high level um and then defensively being able to to switch guard on the perimeter then also protect the r and then as we’ve always talked about the only way you can have a good defense is by rebounding the ball and he does that for us and so um I joked about you know Abu Dhabi trip you know it was an eye opener for him going against coar and in towns and Reed but you can see from that point to where he is today there was a big jump um and we’re happy that he made that jump Jason waying change right Y how have you seen that is it even cranked up a little bit more the playoffs in terms of how the game being not you I mean it it the first three or four minutes you got to figure out you know how what what’s being called and then pivot from there um but the physicality definitely I think I think uh after Allstar break definitely was a little bit more uh of the the touch foul went away um the defense um had a fighting chance and I think that’s what the league was looking for was not the score to be 150 to 160 um but that it was a little bit more competitive and that the defense did have a chance to uh guard the offensive player and I think that’s where the physicality came back into play coach kid with he on the practice today do everything and could you see a return for him coming soon um omx uh is working back from his injury um he he did not participate in our practice uh he did everything individually so um but uh he’s working extremely hard and um I don’t know if he’s going to participate in this finals but um he’s doing better and and so we’ll see brought sing where did that trust developed that trust that he was able and capable to you know to switch on this something that that for a lot of the regular season you were doing weren’t asking to do very often yeah we had to fail um first and then um to help him to understand what the smalls were going to try to do to him and uh and I the coaching staff did a great job with that and even though he’s not officially on the coaching staff but Tyson has done an incredible J job uh with him and so um understanding uh Tyson’s played in this league um came in as a three uh finished as a center and so to understand what the smalls are going to try to do to you I thought Tyson has done a really good job with him Jason I know Mar play a lot what kind of impact he had on your team on sideline doing game and also the lock room yeah I think uh when you talk about um smooth I think uh he’s done an incredible job I think I mentioned mentioned it before uh if I had a vote I know it would go between Luca and Kai would be split as MVP but the one who has really been great for us as the MVP is has been smooth a lot of times uh coaches will always say the guys who score or play the most minutes or have the impact on you know the stat line but smooth has been incredible for us in the locker room and we need more vets to help these younger kids understand how to be successful not just on the floor but off the floor too you and him were together with when won t 2020 did you see that kind of impa yeah yes yes that’s why he’s here Jason um you’ve reiterated since you’ve been in Dallas we can’t take for granted in this game uh playoffs leading almost every single category what have you seen from this level of yeah and I will continue to say that that you you can’t take someone who’s so great um for granted a lot of of times that’s what we do um you pencil him in for a triple double uh but uh what he has done uh with his physical you know what he’s going through uh physically uh he comes to work he he knows that he’s on the biggest stage uh he loves uh the big stage and uh he wants to win and so uh for him to fight through his injuries to to get us to the finals uh has been incredible we get a couple days here for him to catch his breath uh mentally and physically um because it doesn’t get any easier um but again what he has done is shown that he’s uh one of the best players in the world and him as a new dad have you seen like his perspective change End season his offer side just like you know kids really get perspective um oh he he he understands what a nap is or what sleep is uh uh but yes I think uh uh he doesn’t take for granted uh being able to take a nap but I think uh anytime you have a newborn uh that comes into your life it it puts things in perspective and uh he’s a very humble kid uh when you talk about Luca and about Sharon um I think one of the things that we’ll we’ll see that was caught on camera is him giving the MVP uh Weston conference MVP to uh dive and I and I think uh that message alone uh he understands how important the live is to this team and I think uh he was probably kidding but also serious because of the importance what dive brings to us and this is someone that comes off the bench and so uh but that’s who Luca is he’s very humble um and appreciative but I think also uh newborn uh you get to see a little softer side of him too coach going off that um you’ve seen Stars excel in the playoffs you’ve seen Stars struggle in the playoffs that you’ve seen that makes him so focused and able to play well in the big moment um that’s a that’s a good question I you know I think uh it goes back to him when at Real Madrid you know just being on the biggest stage at the age of 15 or 16 years old um I know there’s a clip of him out there that he’s playing against Russ he’s guarding Russ gets Russ to shoot a jump shot so that let us know that he can’t play defense but it’s uh it’s kind of cool that he’s been on this big on this stage um as a teenager or young as an older teenager and he has always uh adapted or he’s been able to uh perform at the highest level and and for that he can draw on those experiences and and get his his game to that level uh when you saw game five it was very similar to game seven in Phoenix he didn’t let those fans get a chance to cheer um he wanted to end the game and he did um in that first quarter and so um again he is special um he’s one of the best players in the world and again he loves the competition thanks

Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd spoke to reporters before Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.

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