When Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd told the media that Jaylen Brown was the best player on the Boston Celtics during this year’s 2024 NBA Finals, it caused quite a stir. After the Mavs lost Game 1, Kidd made this seemingly spontaneous statement, which prompted many (including Celtics players) to criticise Kidd for attempting to manipulate people and create a rift between Brown and fellow Boston star Jayson Tatum. At the time, Kidd denied such charge.
Tuesday he repeated the action. When asked about Brown in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, Kidd reiterated that he wasn’t attempting to “start something” amongst the top players on his opponent’s team. He brought up Brown’s recent Eastern Conference Finals experience.
MVP honour and the general sense that Brown was performing at the peak of his game at the ideal moment. Then Kidd said that the messier interpretation of what he obviously believed to be only a praise was the fault of the media.
“He was playing the best, I think, at the time,” Kidd stated. “I was attempting to start something, according to some. However, he had just been named the MVP of the Eastern Conference, and he went on to win the MVP in the Finals. Thus, I’m not sure if I was incorrect. However, as is sometimes the case, the media may interpret it as an attempt to initiate contact between Jayson and Jaylen. That wasn’t it. Just now, I mentioned that Jaylen is performing at
a high degree. [Jrue] Holiday concurred. Not because I was initiating anything.
However, Jaylen was. I said it because Jaylen was having his best basketball moment at that same moment. I wasn’t attempting to start anything, despite what some people thought.”
Whatever Kidd’s motivation for making such remarks, he has no ill will towards Brown. They collaborated to start a non-profit in Oakland, which is why they were on the podcast mentioned above. They both went to California State University, Berkley. Although the two may have disagreed in certain ways while playing, they appear to have comparable morals off the court.
Brown’s Finals MVP title proves that he was the Celtics’ top player during that series. When the Mavericks visit Boston for the first of two games the following season, in January 2025, Kidd and company will receive their first opportunity at retaliation.
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