2024 NBA Finals: Mavs HC Jason Kidd warns Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and rest of players

The 2024 NBA Finals are upon us, and Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd wants to make sure Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the rest of the squad make the most out of this golden opportunity to win a championship.

Kidd knows what is like to make it to this stage of the postseason as a player, as he was the Mavs’ starting point guard in the team’s road to the title in 2011. However, he made it clear that the coaches have it tougher than the players to make it all the way here.

“A lot harder to coach. It’s fun, but it’s harder. As a player, it’s easy. You have a little bit more control. As a player, it’s a lot easier. As a coach, it’s harder, but it’s gratifying,” Kidd said in a press conference ahead of Game 1.

Kidd’s comments should make Doncic, Irving and company aware that they haven’t achieved anything yet, and that they shouldn’t let the recent success go to their heads. The Mavs coach claims that thriving as the bench boss requires much more effort, but he still loves the job.

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd speaks to the media during the 2024 NBA Finals Media Day at TD Garden on June 05, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.

“It does feel good to be here. You’ve put in a lot of time. I got to wear glasses now because you watch so much video. It’s fun. It’s chess. I love playing chess, to be able to put players in position to be successful on and off the floor.”

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Jason Kidd reminds of difficulty of making it to the NBA Finals

Kidd has made it to the NBA Finals on three occasions during his playing days, but fell short both in 2002 and 2003 with the Nets. It took him almost a decade to redeem himself with the Mavericks, but couldn’t return to the Finals after 2011.

“You’re never guaranteed to be back here. And that’s as a player, too. In ’11, we felt we could do it again, but we never made it back,” Kidd said.

2024 will see a much more mature Kidd look for another success in his career, this time as a head coach. It doesn’t look like an easy challenge though, with the Boston Celtics aiming to get the job done after a fantastic season.