DALLAS – Jason Kidd launched into a passionate defense for his star player, suggesting the media went overboard with “personal attacks” on Luka Doncic.
“This is a free country. Everybody has the right to their opinion. It’s just sometimes we might take it a little bit too far, and understanding if you put yourself in that person’s shoes, could you stand up to the barbecue?” Kidd said. “Sometimes we want to fry someone, but if you reversed it, and it was you being fried, would you like it? Most likely not.
“That’s just the nature of the business.
“But this young man has done nothing to anyone but play the game of basketball. And when he’s asked the question, he’s never run from it. He’s answered it. And he’s 25 years old. I think that’s what I’m more disappointed in is that we are at the highest stage where we have one of the best players in the world playing the game the right way but we want to criticize some of the things that he does not do well. But when he does do them well, we are going to come back and want to talk to him, and then when he says no, I’m going to pass, then what happens?
“I think sometimes it’s just unfair or unwarranted to say those things. No one in this room is perfect.”
Kidd didn’t get into a specific critique or media member when asked, but he mentioned “a free agent in the media business” hunting for “a new contract, or likes, or clicks.”
Doncic’s defensive struggles and became the hottest topic on the network sports shows as the conversation turned towards the 25-year-old’s defensive struggles, his conditioning, his whining to officials and whether or not he’s a superstar.
“The game of sport is not to be perfect. It’s just to win,” Kidd said. “And when you look at what’s come out here in the last day or so, if you’ve watched the Mavs, Luka has improved his defense. But we are asking him, or some are asking him, to be a shutdown defender.
“Well, he’s never been on an All-Defensive Team, but he’s been on five All-Pro Teams, first team. So that means he’s one of the top-5 players in the world, and he’s playing the game the right way where he can find open guys. But when you’re on the biggest stage, there’s got to be — someone’s got to poke a hole.”
Doncic entered Friday’s Game 4 with a 3-0 deficit while averaging nearly 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
He’s also dealing with multiple injuries and said he’s been injected with painkillers before games.
But Game 3 was a low point.
He struggled again on defense, bickered with the referees and fouled out with about four minutes remaining.
The Mavericks then folded down the stretch.
Kidd believed the “attacks” will only enhance Doncic.
“With LeBron, Michael, the greats, the G.O.A.T.s, they all were poked at and they came back stronger and better,” Kidd, a Hall of Fame player, said.
On Thursday, a day after his Game 3 misadventures, Doncic acknowledged he needed a different approach with the referees.
“I just really want to win. Sometimes I don’t show it the right way, but at the end of the day, I really want to win,” he said. “I’ve got to do a better job showing it a different way.”
