During this year's 2024 NBA Finals, Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd made some waves by telling the media Jaylen Brown was the best player on the Boston Celtics. The fact that Kidd said this somewhat unprompted after the Mavs dropped Game 1 led to many (including Celtics players) calling Kidd out for trying to play mind games and drive a wedge between Brown and fellow Boston superstar Jayson Tatum. Kidd dismissed that accusation at the time.
He did so again on Tuesday. In an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, Kidd was asked about Brown and yet again insisted he was not trying to "start something" between his opponent's best players. He pointed out the fact that Brown was coming off an Eastern Conference Finals MVP award and the overall impression he got that Brown was playing his best basketball at the right time. Then Kidd said the media was to blame for the messier interpretation of what he clearly felt was merely a compliment.
