Following his team’s latest loss, Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd went off on a reporter who asked about the “national criticism” the coach has faced for playing Cooper Flagg at point guard.
Kidd played the No. 1 draft pick out of Duke at point guard to start the season before shifting him to his natural position at forward.
“I don’t give a f--- about the criticism. Criticism, that’s your opinion,” Kidd, the Naismith Hall of Famer, responded after his team lost 111-107 to the Houston Rockets to fall to 19-30. “You guys write that bulls--t. That’s not — I’ve done this. I’ve played this game. I played it at a very high level and I know what the f--- I’m doing.
“I don’t give a f--- what you guys write because you guys have never played the game. So I build players, so I know what the f-- 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 at what I’ve done.”
With that, Kidd left the podium.
Flagg went for 34 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists in the loss.
The 6-foot-9 rookie is averaging 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists and is battling his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for Rookie of the Year honors.
The Mavericks are tanking without injured stars Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis and are headed back to the lottery, where they landed Flagg last summer with the No. 1 overall pick after trading Luka Doncic to the L.A. Lakers.