DHJ Quick Take: Kidd’s Departure Statement
- Deep Gratitude: Former Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd expressed profound thanks to the entire organization, players, coaching staff, front office and ownership for their trust and commitment over his tenure.
- Message to Fans and City: He praised the city of Dallas and its fanbase for their passion, energy, and loyalty, noting that the friendships and memories created would stay with his family forever.
- Reflecting on the Era: The statement marks the end of a five-year chapter where the Hall of Famer posted a 205-205 regular-season record and a 22-18 playoff record, highlighted by a trip to the 2024 NBA Finals.
Jason Kidd has issued a statement after the Dallas Mavericks parted ways with him.
Kidd was named head coach of the Mavericks in June 2021. The Hall of Famer went 205-205 in the regular season and 22-18 in the playoffs and led the team to the NBA Finals in 2024.
“The last five years in Dallas have meant more to my family and me than I can fully put into words,” Kidd said. “I want to sincerely thank the Mavericks organization, the players, coaches, staff, front office, ownership, and every employee behind the scenes who put their heart into this team every single day. It has been an honor to work alongside so many incredible people.
“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. While this chapter comes to an end, I leave with nothing but gratitude and respect for everyone who was part of this journey.”
The Mavericks, who hired Masai Ujiri as their new president, and Kidd mutually agreed to part ways on Tuesday. Dallas has missed the playoffs two years in a row since trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
“Jason has had a meaningful impact on the Dallas Mavericks, both as a Hall of Fame player and as the head coach who helped lead this franchise back to the NBA Finals,” Ujiri said. “We are thankful for Jason’s leadership, his professionalism and his commitment to the team. In my short time here, I’ve developed an enormous amount of respect for what he has built. He will always be an important part of the Mavericks family.
“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team. 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 has coached the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Mavericks. He’s 388-395 in the regular season and 31-33 in the playoffs.
Moving on from Kidd was expensive for the Mavericks, who signed him to multi-year extensions during the playoffs in 2024 and again last year after denying the New York Knicks permission to talk to him about their head coach opening.
Ujiri hired Mike Schmitz as general manager three days after he was introduced and confirmed on Wednesday that former co-interim general manager Matt Riccardi is leaving the organization.
The Mavericks have the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft. They are building the team around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving in the post-Dončić era.
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