The Mavericks are moving into a new era under new head coach Dusty May and former Mavericks assistant Igor Kokoskov is sounding off about his time with the team and specifically working with Jason Kidd. Kokoskov came to the Mavericks after forming a bond with Luka Doncic following coaching Doncic's team to the EuroBasket title in 2017

In an interview with X’s & O’s Chat,  Kokoskov didn't speak mildly about his time with the team. He admitted that Kidd was one of his favorite point guards when the former Mavericks coach was a player but he had issues during Kidd's tenure with the team.

“He was one of my favorite players and one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game. I loved the Princeton offense because of Jason Kidd. But Jason Kidd the player and Jason Kidd the coach and person are two completely different stories. I didn’t have a good experience with him, nor do I have a particularly high opinion of him off the court or as a head coach. And it’s fine for people to know that. That’s not just my opinion. He generally led some really gifted teams.”

Article Continues Below

He pointed to Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Dallas as teams that kid inherited. He also described a conversation with Kidd that he believed became contentious.

“So, yeah, I don’t have a particularly high opinion of him. Perhaps the best illustration is that, after working with Jason Kidd for a year, I sat down with him and said: ‘Look, I have a history with Luka Doncic and I know him well. We’ve worked together before, and that can certainly help the team. But I am not here working for Luka Doncic. I am working for you. This is your team.’ However, he could never really get over it. It was something in his head, part of his personal issues, which I didn’t want to get involved in.”