Jason Kidd will be paying for his words.
The NBA fined the Dallas Mavericks head coach $35,000 for profanity and criticism of officiating during a post-game press conference, it announced on Monday.
Kidd went off in front of media on Saturday after his team's fourth straight loss as he fielded questions over his use of No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg as a point guard.
"Criticism? That's your opinion," Kidd said. "You guys write that bull----. I've done this. I've played the game.
"I played it at a very high level. I know what the f--- I'm doing. I don't give a f--- what you guys write because you guys have never played the game. I build players, so I know what the f--- I'm doing. To take criticism, it only makes me better. Because if I wasn't doing it right, you guys wouldn't be poking holes in what I've done."
Kidd also called out officials for what he viewed as a missed foul on Flagg in the final minute when a basket could have tied the game in the eventual 111-107 defeat to the Houston Rockets.
“I saw a foul,” Kidd said. “(Officials) Sean (Wright), Simone (Jelks) and Jason (Goldenberg) were awful tonight. The referees were unacceptable. It’s a foul, and he needs to be at the free-throw line. Now, does he make both? That’s up to the player, but the referees did not do their job. They were terrible.”
