Jared Dudley will embark upon a new chapter in his NBA career. After announcing his retirement from the game, Dudley will join Jason Kidd's coaching staff in the Dallas Mavericks.
Dudley has been a rotation player for the last few years, mostly getting limited minutes for his team. Dudley had become accustomed to being a strong locker room presence for teams in the NBA.
Dud's main contribution to his last few teams has been as a culture player, helping establish an example for younger players on the roster to be able to follow. His most successful stint would be with the Los Angeles Lakers.
While Dudley rarely played for the Lakers, he was a perfect lockerroom presence, helping set the culture with players like LeBron James and Rajon Rondo. And for his work, Dudley was able to reap the highest reward in the sport; an NBA championship.
But now, Dudley will try to do the same in his new capacity as an assistant coach. For a player who is considered a strong leader and an astute figure, coaching is a great role for Dudley.
Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma spoke in an interview recently where he was asked about Jared Dudley's importance to the Los Angeles Lakers' 2020 championship run.
Kuzma was extremely clear, noting that fans don't understand how important Dudley was to the squad's success despite never getting consistent minutes during their season. Kuzma clearly has great respect for what Dud brought to the table.
"He played a huge role in our championship team and he never even played."
His contributions as an athlete had significantly diminished over the last few seasons. And for that reason, many fans have taken for granted how important Dudley was to his team, especially for the Los Angeles Lakers in their championship run.
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