Jason Kidd Reveals Hilarious Way He Handled LeBron James Bringing Up 2011 Finals

Jason Kidd revealed a carefully guarded strategy for handling LeBron James during their time together with the Los Angeles Lakers, admitting he knew better than to voluntarily bring up the Dallas Mavericks’ win in the 2011 NBA Finals. Speaking during a sit-down interview at NBA House Philippines in Manila, the Hall of Famer shared how the superstar forward would occasionally revisit the historic series—usually to insist that Dallas simply caught a lucky break.

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The 10-time NBA All-Star was asked if he ever teased James about the 2011 championship series after the two eventually joined forces in Los Angeles.

“Just a little bit,” Kidd said, before quickly clarifying his boundaries. “No, I would never bring that up. Only if I had to, you know, get him upset.”

Instead of provoking James, Kidd let James dictate the terms of any historical debate. When James brought up the matchup, his argument was straightforward. As Kidd recalled: “He would bring it up. I would let him bring it up… That we got lucky… And I agreed with him.”

Jason Kidd on if he ever teased LeBron about the 2011 Finals: “Nah, I would never bring that up… He would bring it up… That we got lucky… And I agreed with him.” 😅 (via All-StarMagazine) pic.twitter.com/zMCjEx2jcL
— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) August 31, 2026

Source: Witness King James via X

The Context of the 2011 NBA Finals

The 2011 championship remains one of the most memorable championships in NBA history. The Dallas Mavericks entered the series as underdogs against the Miami Heat’s newly formed trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Dallas won the series in six games, capturing the first title in franchise history.

Jason Kidd Reveals Hilarious Way He Handled LeBron James Bringing Up 2011 Finals — Photo: clutchpoints.com

Kidd served as the starting point guard for the Mavericks during that run, playing a key role in defending James during the series. Years later, the relationship shifted. Kidd joined the Lakers coaching staff in 2019, helping guide Los Angeles to an NBA championship in 2020 and adding another ring to his resume alongside James.