09-04-2025
Mavericks' Jason Kidd thinks it's 'kinda cool' the Luka Dončić trade is getting compared to Babe Ruth
Jason Kidd had an interesting take on the Luka Dončić trade shortly before the Los Angeles Lakers star's return to Dallas. It will leave you wondering how much he knows about Babe Ruth.
Speaking with reporters, the Dallas Mavericks head coach was asked to address the fans who feel hopeless in the wake of the deal that has rocked the foundation of their team and triggered a massive backlash.
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His immediate response was to whip out the worst possible analogy and say he improved:
"This is a business. It happens, right? Trades happen. This won't be the last trade. Someone compared it to Babe Ruth, which is kind of cool."
In case basketball fans need a refresher on the Babe Ruth trade, the basics are Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold the rights of the 24-year-old Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000 after the 1919 season. As the lore goes, Frazee did it to finance the Broadway play "My Lady Friends" (which turned into the oft-cited "No, No, Nanette"), though Ruth was also asking for a lot more money.
Ruth went on to win four World Series titles with the Yankees while transforming the sport of baseball with his unprecedented power. The Red Sox didn't win another World Series title for 86 years, with their struggles ascribed to the "Curse of the Bambino." You do not want to be the Red Sox in this scenario.
The Dallas Mavericks do not want the Luka Doncic trade to go the way of the Babe Ruth trade. (Photo by)
(Ron Jenkins via Getty Images)
So when the Mavericks just traded a 25-year-old star to a larger-market team, the absolute last words they want on anyone's mind, especially among their employees, is "Babe Ruth."
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Kidd's comments were just one part of an emotional and awkward homecoming in Dallas. The Mavericks welcomed Dončić with some nice shirts, but the team will be feeling the after-effects of his forced exit for years to come. They can only hope they won't feel them for as long as the Red Sox.
Jason Kidd's full quote on Luka Dončić (and Babe Ruth)
"With 77 there's a lot of hope, right? With Luka, there's a lot of hope. This is a business. It happens, right? Trades happen. This won't be the last trade. Someone compared it to Babe Ruth, which is kind of cool. But when you look at the business of sports, change happens, but when change happens, it's the ones who can carry on and keep moving forward, those are the special people. Fans are gonna be fans, they have a right to boo, they have a right to cheer. Hope is still in that locker room.
