Move over, soccer purists, Jason Kidd is bringing his championship pedigree to the Premier League! The Hall of Fame point guard and Dallas Mavericks head coach is diving into the beautiful game headfirst. He’s joining Everton’s ownership group as a minority investor through Roundhouse Capital Holdings, part of The Friedkin Group. Yes, it is the American consortium that sealed its takeover of the Toffees in late 2024.
Now, Everton is on the brink of a historic transition, with a new 52,000-seat stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock set to open for the 2025-26 season. Kidd brings his championship mindset and leadership game to the table, but even more significant is the end of Farhad Moshiri’s turbulent reign. For many fans, his departure is a bigger win than the arrival of new owners, The Freidkin Group. As one supporter put it, “Moshiri’s departure is being celebrated a lot more than the new owners coming in.” After years of instability and frustration, Evertonians finally feel like the reset button has been hit.
The official Instagram handle of Everton broke the news of the recent venture by Jason Kidd. The post was captioned, “Welcome to the Everton family, @coachjasonkidd!” Warmly sending a welcome wish Jason Kidd’s way.
However, even in light of the news surrounding Jason Kidd, fans from Kidd’s old stomping ground managed to shift the spotlight onto Nico Harrison’s head. Showing fury like an unquenched volcano, which was brought on by the trade of the Mavericks’ superstar Luka Doncic, and exacerbated by the press conferences he attended.
At the press conferences, Harrison defended the trade, emphasizing a shift towards building a championship-caliber team focused on defense. He acknowledged underestimating how deeply fans valued Doncic, and his avoidance of public visibility during games added fuel to the fire of the fans’ contempt for him.
Trolls mount on Nico Harrison
The fans wasted no time storming the post with comments trolling Nico Harrison. One fan commented, “Everton fans, this guy had to deal with someone more incompetent than Moshiri. he knows what it’s like.” Before The Friedkin Group’s takeover in December 2024, Everton Football Club was owned by Farhad Moshiri.
Under Moshiri, Everton endured a period of decline, frequently battling relegation from the Premier League despite significant financial investment. Everton fans became increasingly unhappy with Moshiri’s ownership for several reasons. The club faced major financial pressures. That also included a six-point deduction in the 2023–24 season for breaching Premier League financial rules, after reporting losses of £370 million between 2018 and 2021. Echoing the same frustration, the fan sent shots toward Nico Harrison as Jason Kidd served as the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks and was involved in a close capacity with him for numerous years.
Nico Harrison still haunts most fans, and they are still furious. These comments underscore that feeling perfectly. An Instagram user commented, “As long as Nico Harrison has no involvement whatsoever, W,” sharing that as long as Nico Harrison is not involved in the proceedings, or in the future concerning Kidd’s involvement with Everton, nothing untoward, such as bad trades, will happen, and all’s good. Another fan commented, “Thank god it’s not Nico Harrison (crying emoji),” crying tears of joy, because of Nico Harrison’s non-involvement?
Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manger Nico Harrison look on during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
However, some fans also had some messages for Jason Kidd, a fan wrote, “Great player, sh– bloke and not much of a coach. I don’t see the upside,” remarking on his hall-of-fame career, personality, and his coaching in which to be fair he has led the Mavs to two finals appearances but has not managed to win any rings. While another Mavericks and Everton fan commented, “The one place I could hide from the tragedy that is the Mavs this season… this man is haunting me!” Stating that they could find refuge in the Premier League after the abysmal season from the Mavericks season which had more losses than wins at a record of 39-43 without qualifying for the playoffs.
Considering the situation, there is both relief and skepticism from the fans at Everton and the Mavericks. Only time will tell how this story will play out. Here’s hoping for more success for Everton and that the fans’ anger for Nico Harrison quells.
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