Mavericks coach Jared Dudley explains the value of veterans on a contending team

The Dallas Mavericks did not let Jared Dudley sit on the free agent market during the 2021 offseason. The veteran forward had just spent two seasons with the Lakers where he was a veteran leader, but once it was clear he was not heading back to LA, new Mavs head coach Jason Kidd offered Dudley a spot on the front of his bench as an assistant coach. The deal was just too good to pass up.

LeBron James was not happy about Dudley’s departure, and he made that clear on social media. The Lakers won the championship in 2020 and reached the playoffs in 2021, but dropped out last season as the Mavericks surged into the conference finals. Fans can be sure the presence of Dudley helped the Mavs rise.

The 37-year-old former player turned assistant coach joined Mavericks wing Theo Pinson on the Run Your Race podcast. The episode drops on Oct. 11, but they released a preview where Duds talks about his value to the Lakers 2020 title squad.

Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley explains the value of veterans on a contending team

Dudley talked about how he earned the trust of LeBron James and Anthony Davis before opening up in film sessions and telling those players where they made mistakes. He followed by saying this.

"They (the Lakers staff under Frank Vogel) are like, can they call LeBron out? We do the same thing now. Can we call Luka out? Yea, we can call Luka out. Well, how many times? When are we going to do it? How? So at that time, it’s like, hey let me take that off your plate. Let me call him out."

The duo then chatted about how it resonates differently for the star player and how they are treated differently. It was a fantastic conversation that fans must listen to below.

Jared Dudley also talks about his coaching style and aspirations to be a head coach. The Dallas Mavericks are lucky to have him, and he makes a significant impact from the bench just like he did in Los Angeles.

Expect Jared Dudley to get his shot to be a head coach shortly. He has all the tools and just needs a few years of experience as an assistant before getting his first crack.