Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd unleashed a profanity-laced defense of his coaching decisions during a postgame news conference Friday night following criticism over his use of rookie Cooper Flagg at point guard.
Responding to a question about national backlash for deploying Flagg in the role over the past two games, Kidd said:
“I don’t give a f*ck what’s your guys’ right because you guys have never played in any way. So I’ve built players so I know what the fuck I’m doing. So to take criticism, it only makes me better. If I wasn’t doing right…”
The exchange came after the Mavericks’ game, where Kidd also expressed frustration with the officiating. He called out referees Sean Wright, Simone Jelks and Jason Goldberg by name, describing their performance as “awful” and insisting a late layup attempt by Flagg should have drawn a foul. “I saw a foul,” Kidd said. “It’s unacceptable. It’s a foul & he needs to be at the free throw line.”
Jason Kidd was asked by @RonKnowsSports about the national criticism for playing Cooper Flagg at point guard.
Kidd: "Criticism? That’s your opinion. You guys write that bullshit. That’s not — I’ve done this. I’ve played this game. I played it. I know what the fuck I’m doing.
"I… pic.twitter.com/NovR3R0PTV
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) February 1, 2026
Kidd’s comments quickly drew reactions on X, formerly known as Twitter, where fans and observers weighed in on the coach’s fiery demeanor.
“Nah Jason Kidd snapped on the reporters tonight 😭,” posted user @kyriecenterig, sharing video of the rant that garnered over 200 likes and thousands of views.
Another user, @KyleMotionnn, showed support, posting a clip with the caption “Talk ur shi Kidd.” Others noted the composed nature of the outburst, with @reneelina01 calling it the “Calmest crash out iv ever seen” and @adryanashton adding, “one of the calmest rants i ever seen😭 stared right into their soul too.”
Some users defended Kidd’s stance. “@DajwanT24” wrote, “Valid points tho.” However, not all reactions were positive; @fruitsnacks67 questioned the response, saying, “Not sure why the guy was clearly trying to give him his props lmao.”
The Mavericks have struggled with consistency this season amid injuries and lineup experiments, including positioning the highly touted rookie Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, at point guard to develop his playmaking skills. Flagg, 19, has averaged 19 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists through his first 40 games.
