Jason Kidd haters are dying on silent hill after Mavericks' latest move

Just like any NBA head coach, Jason Kidd's tenure with the Dallas Mavericks has not come without skepticism and scrutiny. Lauded as more of a player's coach, many thought Kidd wouldn't be smart when it came to managing rotations and making in-game adjustments when he arrived in Dallas in 2021.

This came after a stretch where he was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers after things had gone haywire in his first two stops as a head coach with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. Kidd's domestic battery charge from 2001 was a major point of contention amongst Mavericks fans and media (rightfully so), given the Mavericks were still working to improve their image following a workplace scandal in 2018.

However, Kidd has clearly made improvements in multiple facets of his life, including as a head coach, as there weren't many Mavericks fans complaining when it was announced on Tuesday that Kidd would be receiving another multi-year contract extension with the Mavericks, as he first received an extension during the 2024 playoff run.

The script has completely flipped for Jason Kidd in Dallas

This isn't saying Kidd is excused for his past transgressions or lack of success as a head coach early on in his coaching career, but people can evolve and change for the better, and Kidd has done this in multiple ways since setting foot in Dallas in 2021. Kidd has become a better in-game adjuster, has strayed away from some of the wilder motivating tactics he used to do earlier in his career, and Mavericks players are always raving about his leadership and acumen.

There are definitely still a few names in the league the Mavericks may prefer over Kidd, but it's undeniable that Kidd has turned into one of the more reliable and successful coaches in the league in just a few seasons, especially after helping lead the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024 and a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2022.

Kidd has an overall record of 179-149 as Dallas' head coach as he enters his fifth season with the Mavericks, and that record would undoubtedly be tipping more toward the winning side if not for the Luka Doncic trade and Dallas' blunder of a season in 2022-23. Kidd is the perfect type of coach for Dallas to take into the Cooper Flagg era, especially since Kidd was a Hall of Fame point guard, and the Mavericks are desperately trying to develop the young Flagg's ball skills.

The Mavericks and general manager Nico Harrison couldn't have picked a better time to extend Kidd after he was courted by the New York Knicks earlier this summer before they hired Mike Brown, so this is a great vote of confidence in Kidd as the Mavericks try to balance Flagg's development with trying to compete for a championship in this current window.

Kidd admittedly had his fair share of haters in the Dallas fanbase when he arrived in 2021, but now he's mostly looked at as a great leader and pillar of continuity, which can be attributed to his ability to stay the course.