Photo: Ronald Martinez
Jason Kidd is headed back to Dallas to take over the team that drafted him in 1994.
The Athletic broke the news on Thursday, June 24, that the Mavericks agreed to hire the hall-of-famer as its head coach. Reaction to Kidd's hiring has been mixed.
Former Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle gave his approval. Carlisle previously coached Kidd during his second run with the team from 2008 to 2012. The departing coach also drew comparisons between Kidd and current Mavs star Luka Doncic.
"I just think that it would be a great situation for Luka, and I think it would be an amazing situation for Jason. I’m the only person on the planet that’s coached both of those guys and that knows about all of their special qualities as basketball players," Carlisle told ESPN.
He previously compared the two players in 2020, Fox Sports reported.
Kidd is leaving his role as an assistant coach with the Los Angles Lakers for his new gig, which LeBron James found bittersweet. James wished him luck, nonetheless.
Kidd's hiring doesn't come without controversy. In 2001, Kidd plead guilty to domestic abuse, and in 2012 he was arrested and charged with a DWI. Some sportswriters have come out against Kidd's hiring and say that it sends the wrong message, especially after former Mavs employees outed the team as a toxic workplace in 2018.
Jasmyn Wimbish, who covers the NBA and WBNA for CBS Sports, called out team ownerMark Cuban, who previously promised to change the workplace culture in Dallas.
Jay Williams Blames a Hacker For Glaring Mistake About New Celtics Coach
Several Teams Listed as Having the Best Odds For Damian Lillard Trade
Scottie Pippen: I Have No Problem Calling Phil Jackson a Racist
Why Kyrie Irving Has Played His Final Game For the Brooklyn Nets
Twitter Has Hilarious Reaction to Alex Caruso's Arrest
A Trade to This NBA Team Could Save Ben Simmons' Career
Ex-MLB Star Accuses His Church's Pastor of Having an Affair With His Wife
Ben Simmons is the Most Phony 'Star' in NBA History
Why We Won't See Deshaun Watson in the NFL Until 2023 at the Earliest