Jason Kidd: Player to Coach to Part-Owner

Jason Kidd

June 29, 1994. An ordinary day. An extraordinary event took place that day. The 1994 NBA Draft saw the selection of two NBA Rookie of the year players, Grant Hill and Jason Kidd. Two players of extraordinary potential, one realised his potential and became a legend, while the others’ career was marred by injuries. Kidd was the second pick in the first round and he was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks.

Jason Kidd was born on March 23rd, 1973 in Oakland. Initially drafted by the Mavericks. Kidd played for the Phoenix suns, New Jersey Nets, Mavericks again, New York Knicks before retiring from Brooklyn Nets (Former New Jersey Nets). Wherever Kidd went, he established himself as a Point Guard extraordinaire and a leader both on and off the court.

Kidd: The Player

At 6’4″, Kidd is definitely taller than the average NBA point guard and he definitely used this to his advantage. Kidd had a knack for finding passing lanes, open players and most importantly, creating openings in the court. He was also incredibly quick which allowed him to dribble past opponents and to steal the orange from them. Kidd finished his career with 8.7 Assists per game and 1.9 Steals per game, second only behind John Stockton.

Wherever Kidd went, the team’s performance improved dramatically. When Kidd was drafted by the Mavericks, their record improved from 13-69 to 36-46. This is the record for the largest improvement ever in the NBA. After he was traded to the Suns, their total number of wins improved by 16 games. Kidd led the Nets to a 50-32 season, a 26 game improvement from their previous season.

Kidd was a NBA Champion (2011, with the Mavs), 10 time NBA All – Star, 5 time All-NBA First Team, 4 time NBA All-Defensive first team, 5 time NBA Assists Leader, NBA co-rookie of the year. He finished with 12.6 Points per game, 8.7 Assists per game, 6.3 Rebounds per game and 1.9 Steals per game. He has 107 triple-doubles throughout his career, third behind Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson (Both are taller than him). He is definitely a future hall of famer, in my opinion.

Here’s some of Kidd’s best plays:

Although Kidd’s quality of play decreased after his Championship ring, his retirement is definitely a loss to the fans as we won’t be able to see him playing on the court. However, a mere 10 days after his retirement, Kidd took up the head coach job at the Brooklyn Nets, amidst immense surprise.