Jason Kidd Speaks on Experience Gained From Mavs' 2024 NBA Finals Failure

Before winning the 2011 NBA championship as the point guard of the Dallas Mavericks, Jason Kidd experienced many playoff failures during his time with the New Jersey Nets. Recently, Kidd commented on the Mavericks NBA Final loss to the Boston Celtics. Kidd spun the loss in a healthy, motivational manner.

"In the Finals, I'm trying to figure out in Boston who is going to miss a shot. Unfortunately, there was no one...We had our hands full," Kidd said in a recent interview with NBCS Warriors . "I think the experience of going there, understanding if we have that opportunity again, we know what we have to do."

During his seven seasons as the Nets' leader, the superstar point guard played 79 postseason games. Of those 79 games, 10 occurred in two consecutive NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.

The first NBA Finals appearance happened during the Los Angeles Lakers' three-peat at the start of the new millennium. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant blasted the Nets in a 4-0 sweep. Next, in Kidd's painful NBA Finals losses, the San Antonio Spurs beat the Nets in six games. They sent off Hall of Fame center David Robinson in a memorable retirement by winning his second NBA championship.

Poetically, Kidd experienced pain to understand love. Perhaps there wouldn't have been a 2011 NBA Finals without the failed attempts, as Dirk Nowitzki experienced multiple years of failure before capturing the coveted Larry O'Brien trophy.

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Regarding the 2024-25 Mavericks, acquiring a knockdown shooter in Klay Thompson improves their chances of winning the NBA Finals. Kyrie Irving struggled in last season’s finals, making the Celtics' assignment of guarding Luka Doncic seem more manageable.

However, you can't double-team Doncic and Irving with Thompson in the corner waiting for an open 3-point shot. Look for the Mavs to make a lot of noise this coming season with a some chips on their shoulders.