Kidd said he usually wouldn’t tease James about the Finals matchup. That would change if he wanted to get under James’ skin a little.
“I would never bring that up. Only if I had to get him upset,” Kidd said. “He would bring it up. I would let him bring it up.”
What would James say if he brought the subject up?
“That we got lucky,” Kidd said. “And I just say I’d agree with him.”
How serious was Kidd about the joke? It’s hard to tell, especially since he didn’t add more detail to his response. Mavericks fans would likely disagree with the take, especially since James struggled against Dallas in the 2011 Finals.
James averaged 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists throughout the six-game series. His worst performance in that series came in Game 4, when he scored just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field. James later credited the 2011 Finals loss for helping him improve his game to the dominant level he’s currently displaying.