Mavs' Kidd Following Popovich HOF Coaching Motto: 'It's About Relationships'

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich stole the show at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with his speech, and the coaching method he talked about is being implemented by Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.

Being an NBA head coach isn't easy, but according to newly-enshrined Hall of Fame head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, it doesn't have to be as complicated as many might think it is.

Although our DallasBasketball.com focus was on Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki delivering a perfect speech for his own enshrinement, it was Popovich who stole the show with a speech that lasted nearly 30 minutes. Despite all of the legendary coach's on-court accolades, he acknowledged that he'd be nowhere without the high-quality players he had at his disposal ... and more importantly, his relationships with those players.

"Everybody knows the X's and O's. It's not brain science," Popovich said. "Like when is the last time you had a new pick-and-roll play? It's all the same damn stuff. ... It's about relationships."

Although Mavs head coach Jason Kidd has a long way to go in order to get near Popovich's level, he has at least tried to implement that relationships aspect in his coaching methods throughout his first two seasons in Dallas. The first year was a major success, as the Mavs marched all the way to the Western Conference Finals in the 2021-22 season before losing to the eventual-champion Golden State Warriors. The second year went backwards, as the Mavs missed the postseason for the first time since Luka Doncic's rookie season, although that wasn't all on Kidd's shoulders.

Even if you aren't the best coach when it comes to the X's and O's, if you can get on the same page with every player in your locker room, especially your stars, you'll have a chance to go far. The Mavs' conference finals appearance in the season before last is a great example of that, as all the guys on that roster were on the same page every step of the way with one goal in mind: winning at all costs.

You have to love J.Kidd's intensity!

🔊 Jason Kidd is wired for sound in Game 7. pic.twitter.com/b1C4M1AfpQ

— NBA (@NBA) May 16, 2022

Being genuine is key, and during his speech, Popovich said players have a "bullish** antennae" and can detect whether coaches are being real or fake with them. Despite having a rocky start to his coaching career with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, Kidd got his third chance at being a head coach in Dallas after he had a successful two-year stint as an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"The thing people don’t really put a lot of emphasis on is the job he did with the Lakers," Mavs GM Nico Harrison told DallasBasketball.com during that Western Conference Finals season. "The Lakers don’t win the [2020] championship without what he did. The way he’s able to communicate with superstars, the way he’s able to support the team. And the coach he worked for, it wasn’t about Jason. Jason was in a secondary role. He embraced the role, and he did everything he could do to support the head coach and support the players, but never grandstanding."

After losing Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks in free agency last summer, the Mavs had to take a step back during the 2022-23 season in order to hopefully get back on track this season. Although they traded for Kyrie Irving in February to give Doncic a true co-star, they weren't able to replenish the depth given up in that deal until this summer. Yes, Dallas missed the postseason, but it also retained its draft pick and turned it into Dereck Lively II, OMax Prosper and Richaun Holmes. The Mavs also added Grant Williams, Seth Curry, Dante Exum and Derrick Jones Jr. to bolster depth as well.

Although Kidd's second year as the Mavs' head coach wasn't nearly as successful as the first, Harrison knew he needed to do some work to put more of the right pieces in play, and he appears to have done just that this summer. Kidd can draw up as many plays as he'd like, but at the end of the day, he has to have players on has roster capable of executing those plays for it to matter.

By most accounts, from what we've seen and heard, many players enjoy playing for Kidd, as he is genuine and strives to have real relationships with players instead of just going through the motions. In that regard, Kidd is taking the advice Popovich gave at Symphony Hall in Springfield on Saturday night.

Coach Pop says it was the play of all-time greats Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and others that helped him stack up five championships and the most wins in NBA history. Perhaps having a refreshed star duo of Doncic and Irving, paired with a fully revamped roster, will let Kidd's chemistry-building skills shine through once again, just like they did a little more than a year ago.

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