DALLAS — On Wednesday, Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd expressed that he required some time to collect his thoughts after the team’s recent overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Before their game against the Golden State Warriors later that evening, he shared why he chose to skip the media interviews following the tough loss. Kidd mentioned that he was feeling down and preferred to avoid making any comments he might regret later. The Mavericks not only dropped the game, but they also faced the loss of their third big man within just two games. Additionally, several fans were ejected from the arena for vocally opposing the controversial trade of star player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I simply needed a break,” Kidd stated. “We faced a tough defeat, lost another player in the process. I needed some time to gather myself, refocus, and strategize on how to put the pieces back together.”
The departure of center Daniel Gafford during the early part of the second quarter during the 129-128 defeat against the Kings left the Mavericks with only one player taller than 6 feet 8 inches available. The 7-foot Kylor Kelley, who made his NBA debut on January 27, was brought into the team after center Dereck Lively II sustained an ankle stress fracture.
The contentious trade involving Doncic, executed by General Manager Nico Harrison on February 1, saw the arrival of 10-time All-Star forward-center Anthony Davis to Dallas. Unfortunately, Davis encountered a groin injury during his debut game with the Mavericks on Saturday. Compounding the issue, power forward P.J. Washington Jr. also left that game with an ankle sprain, while reserve center Dwight Powell has been sidelined since January 20 due to a hip injury.
Kidd remarked, “I have never witnessed anything like this in sports.”
The team’s general manager, Harrison, has become a target of frustration among Mavericks fans, even facing death threats as a result. Before the Wednesday night contest, Warriors coach Steve Kerr spoke about his own experience with death threats during his time as the Phoenix Suns’ GM in 2008, following a trade that sent Shawn Marion to acquire Shaquille O’Neal late in O’Neal’s illustrious career.
“Witnessing Nico endure this treatment, which he should never have to face, feels surreal, to be honest,” Kerr reflected.