JARED Dudley has made a huge step to advance his coaching career, leading the Dallas Mavericks summer league team in Las Vegas.

Although the Mavs missed out on the tournament’s final stage that crowned the Cleveland Cavaliers as champions, they finished with a 4-1 record.

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Jared Dudley served as the Dallas Mavericks summer league coach in Las Vegas this yearCredit: Getty

The ex-NBA forward became Dallas’ assistant coach after retiring from basketball in 2021Credit: Getty

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Toward the end of his NBA career, Dudley made a name for himself as a selfless veteran and vocal leaderCredit: Getty

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Dudley became Giannis Antentokounmpo’s mentor during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014-15Credit: Getty
And Dudley, 38, said it felt “surreal” to be able to step into a summer league coach’s role two years after joining Jason Kidd’s staff as an assistant.

“It’s a blessing to have this opportunity,” he told The U.S. Sun after Dallas’ 91-80 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on July 8.

“A long way to go. This is a good first step for me.”

Dudley’s transition into coaching started years before he retired from basketball in 2021 with the ex-forward making a name for himself as a selfless, vocal leader toward the end of his career.

He didn’t need to play much to make a huge contribution to the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship, taking care of chemistry as LA’s locker room general instead.

He also played a significant role in the development of a number of budding NBA prospects who have turned into superstars over the last decade.

Those include the likes of Giannis Antentokounmpo, Devin Booker, John Wall, and Kyle Kuzma.

Memorably, Dudley memorably asked Kidd – then a Milwaukee Bucks head coach – to start Antentokounmpo over him in Giannis’ sophomore year, realizing the Greek needed the extra rotation minutes for his growth.

“Giannis was good enough then and we needed him to get a lot better,” the ex-forward explained in 2020.

As an NBA veteran, Dudley served as the coaching staff’s extension on the court, using his experience and basketball IQ to provide teammates with advice and honest feedback.

And Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy got a taste of Dudley’s honesty in Vegas, hearing the Mavs coach say he played “terribly” in the first half of a 111-103 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Dudley said that figuring out how to get his point across to players in a quicker and more effective way would be one of the learning opportunities the summer league could provide him with.

The soon-to-be Boston College Hall-of-Famer also listed improving his after-timeout plays (ATOs) and in-game adjustments as his objectives for the tournament and beyond.

“You always question what you could have done better,” Dudley said after the loss to OKC, two days before the Sixers matchup.

“This is just the beginning of the process for me.”

Asked about the goals for his third year as Mavericks assistant coach, Dudley immediately said he wants Dallas to get back in the playoffs and “give our stars a chance” after finishing 11th in the Western Conference last season.

The California native pointed out that after the Mavs re-signed Kyrie Irving, acquired Grant Williams, and added size to the roster in the offseason, there’s no excuse for missing out on postseason basketball again.

“With two superstars, [you should be] in the playoffs always, every year,” Dudley said.

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Dudley won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020Credit: Getty