Jason Kidd

Kidd was selected as the second pick overall by the Dallas Mavericks, behind Glenn Robinson of Purdue, and just ahead of Duke's Grant Hill. In his first year, he averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists, and led the NBA in triple doubles, sharing 1995 NBA Rookie of the Year honors with Hill of the Detroit Pistons.[7] The year before the Mavericks drafted Kidd, they finished the season with the worst record in the NBA at 13–69. After Kidd's first season with the Mavericks, their record improved to 36–46 which, at 23 games, was the largest improvement in the NBA.

In the following season Kidd was voted a starter in the 1996 All-Star Game. In his first two years with the Mavericks, the move most people associated him with was "the baseball pass". Kidd was a member of the "Three J's" in Dallas along with Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn. After promising beginnings, things turned sour among the trio. Mashburn's injury combined with deteriorated personal relations between the immature leaders of the team resulted in the Mavericks taking a step backwards instead of further development. Kidd's continued problems with the coaches affected the Mavericks' decision to trade their young star just in his third season in the league.[8]

Kidd was traded to the Phoenix Suns with Tony Dumas and Loren Meyer for Michael Finley, A. C. Green, and Sam Cassell during the 1996–97 season. In his first full season with the Suns in 1997–98, the team's win total improved by 16 games.[9] The Suns, who finished the season with a 56–26 record, had been recognized for their fast-paced style of play with Kidd frequently leading a small lineup of four guards (Kidd, Kevin Johnson, Rex Chapman and Steve Nash) being on the floor at the same time together with Antonio McDyess playing at center.[10]

In the 1998–99 season, Kidd averaged 10.8 assists per game to dethrone Washington's Rod Strickland as the league's assists leader. He also led the NBA with seven triple-doubles (the rest of the league had just 11) and was second in the NBA with 41.2 minutes per game (behind Allen Iverson's 41.5 mpg). Kidd averaged career highs in points (16.9 ppg), field goal percentage (.444), rebounds (6.8 rpg, best among NBA guards) and steals (2.28 spg, fourth in the NBA) and was the only player to be ranked among the top 50 in the NBA in 10 different statistical categories. The Suns won all seven of the games in which he had triple-doubles.[11]

The Suns acquired Penny Hardaway from the Orlando Magic before the start of the 1999–00 season in hope of creating the best backcourt duo in the league. The combination of Kidd and Hardaway in the starting lineup was often labeled as the BackCourt 2000.[12] Despite a decent 53–29 record, the Suns' season was spoiled by injuries to both of their superstars. Kidd, who broke his ankle late in the regular season, returned during the playoffs to help his team to beat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs and advance to the second round for the first time in his career.[13]

The 2000–01 season was affected by Kidd's personal problems as he was charged with domestic abuse of his wife.[14] The Suns, who struggled in the middle part of the season, finished strongly with a 15–6 record to secure another 50-win season. Kidd took on more of the offensive load after his teammates encouraged him to be more selfish. He recorded 30-plus points six times on the year and five times in the last 19 games. In one particular hot stretch, he scored 36, 32 and 31 in three consecutive games in mid-March, prior to which he had never recorded consecutive 30-point games.[15]

During his stay in Phoenix, Kidd made the All-Star Game in 1998, 2000, and 2001 (in 1999 it was not held because of a lockout) and led the NBA in assists for three consecutive years (1999–2001). It was also with the Suns that Kidd rose to the status of the league's best playmaker as he was voted to the All-NBA First Team three years in a row (1999–2001). On June 28, 2001, after five seasons in Phoenix in which the team made the playoffs each year, he was traded, along with Chris Dudley, to the New Jersey Nets for Stephon Marbury, Johnny Newman, and Soumaila Samake.

Kidd with the Nets in 2006

Kidd joined the franchise as the team was constructed around a sophomore Kenyon Martin, veterans Kerry Kittles and Keith Van Horn, along with the rookies Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong coming from the draft-day trade for the seventh pick Eddie Griffin.[16] The 2001–02 season saw Kidd lead the Nets to a 52–30 finish, a 26-game improvement from the season before and the first 50-win season in the franchise's NBA history.[9] He was voted to the All-NBA First Team and finished second to the Spurs' Tim Duncan in MVP voting. Many critics and fans have argued that Kidd deserved to win the award because of his impact in New Jersey—transforming the Nets from perennial league doormats into championship contenders seemingly in the space of a single training camp.

Under Kidd's guidance, the young Nets team prospered through the playoffs, won the Eastern Conference title and advanced to the franchise's first-ever appearance in the NBA Finals. Along the way they had some memorable moments including a double overtime victory against the Indiana Pacers in the decisive Game 5 (NBA used to have a 2–2–1 format for the playoffs first round back then). Indiana's Reggie Miller forced the first overtime with a 35-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer and the second one with a two-handed dunk, but the Nets eventually survived and beat Indiana 120–109. Kidd scored 20 of his then playoffs-best 31 points in the 4th quarter and overtimes.[17] After defeating the Charlotte Hornets 4–1 in the second round, the Nets then faced the Boston Celtics in the Conference Finals. In that series Kidd and the Nets experienced the biggest 4th quarter collapse in the playoffs history, when the Celtics came back from a 21-point deficit to win the pivotal Game 3, taking a 2–1 series lead.[18] However, the Nets then won three consecutive games, while Kidd averaged a triple double for the entire series.[19] In the NBA Finals the Nets were swept in four games by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers.

New Jersey enjoyed another stellar season under Kidd's leadership in the 2002–03 season, during which the team finished 49–33 and reached the NBA finals once again. Kidd had his highest scoring season with 18.7 points per game[20] and led the league in assists with 8.9 per game. This time Kidd was selected to the All-NBA Second Team. In the playoffs after splitting the first four games with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Nets recorded a 10-game winning streak, while sweeping the Celtics and the Detroit Pistons on the way to their second consecutive NBA Finals.[21] In the Finals New Jersey lost to Tim Duncan's San Antonio Spurs in six games, even though the series was tied after the first four games.

As an unrestricted free agent in the 2003 offseason, there was speculation that Kidd would join the defending champion Spurs and replace Tony Parker as their starting point guard. Parker, then young and unproven, was perceived to have "limitations" in his game that Kidd did not.[22] However, Kidd elected to stay with the Nets on a 6-year, $99 million deal.[23] In the 2003–04 season, Kidd averaged 15.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists (leading the league in assists for the second year in a row). The Nets led by Kidd finished the season 47–35 as their leader was voted to the All-NBA First Team for the fifth time in his career. In the playoffs however, they lost in the Conference Semifinals in a seven-game series against the Detroit Pistons, the eventual champions. Kidd went scoreless in the decisive Game 7, while playing with a serious knee injury.[24]

On July 1, 2004, Kidd underwent microfracture surgery to repair a damaged knee. He made a full recovery and returned to the court for the 2004–05 season in December, during which the Nets acquired star swingman Vince Carter from the Toronto Raptors. With the Nets hanging on the prospect of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2001 and with Jefferson injured, Carter and Kidd combined to fuel the team to a late regular season surge that enabled them to inch past the Cleveland Cavaliers for the eighth and final playoff berth in the East. The Nets were eliminated in four games to the top-seeded Miami Heat in the first round.

In the 2005–06 season, Kidd averaged 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.4 assists. He and Carter led the Nets to a third-place finish in the East with a 49–33 record to clinch their fourth Atlantic Division title in the last five seasons. In April the Nets recorded NBA season-best winning streak, which was ended by the Cleveland Cavaliers at 14 wins in a row. Kidd was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the fourth time in his career. In the playoffs the Nets beat the Indiana Pacers in six games in the first round, but later in the Conference Semifinal they were defeated again by the Miami Heat, the eventual champions.

Kidd was named a reserve for the NBA All-Star game along with teammate Vince Carter during the 2006–07 season. However, Kidd missed the game because of a strained back and was replaced on the roster by Joe Johnson.[25] On April 7, 2007, Kidd and Carter became the first teammates to record triple-doubles in the same game since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen did it in 1989 for the Chicago Bulls. In the first round of the 2006–07 postseason Kidd averaged 14.0 points, 13.2 assists, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals, as the Nets defeated the Toronto Raptors in six games. He joined Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double in multiple playoff series.[26] For the postseason, Kidd averaged 14.6 points, 10.9 assists and 10.9 rebounds in twelve playoff games.[27] He became the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire postseason.[28] Despite Kidd's efforts the Nets were eliminated in six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the 2007–08 season, Kidd became the third player to get a triple-double in three straight games since 1989. He did so after he logged his 97th career triple-double in a 115–99 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.[29] Kidd was voted by the fans to start in the 2008 All-Star game in New Orleans as a guard along with Dwyane Wade. During that season Kidd had been mentioned in trade rumors, notably to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the deal fell through when the Lakers refused to give up their young center Andrew Bynum. On January 28, 2008, Kidd revealed that his agent had been talking to the Nets' front office about a trade. On February 19, 2008, Kidd was traded[30] to the Dallas Mavericks, the team that originally drafted him.

Kidd during his second tenure as a Maverick

On February 13, 2008, the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets reached an agreement on a trade to send Kidd and Malik Allen to Dallas for Devin Harris, Devean George, Jerry Stackhouse, DeSagana Diop, Maurice Ager, two first-round drafts picks (in 2008 and 2010), and $3 million, but the trade fell through when George invoked his (Early) Bird rights, as was stipulated in his contract at the time.[31][32] The trade was retooled, with Trenton Hassell replacing George, and Keith Van Horn, who had agreed to come out of retirement, replacing Stackhouse, because NBA officials informed the Mavericks that if Stackhouse were to be included in the deal, he could not re-sign with the team if the Nets chose to buy out his contract.[33] Antoine Wright was also added to the retooled trade proposal (the two teams originally agreed on a separate deal that would have sent Wright to the Mavericks for a 2008 second-round pick, but were ultimately able include him in the Kidd deal).[34] On February 19, 2008, Kidd was traded to the Mavericks along with Allen and Wright for Van Horn (via a sign and trade deal), Harris, Diop, Hassell, Ager, $3 million, and first round picks in 2008 and 2010.[35][36]

Kidd drives to the basket in 2008

The Mavericks hoped that Kidd would provide leadership to the team that for years had been labelled as weak mentally and help Dallas and its franchise-player Dirk Nowitzki to win their first ever NBA Championship.[36] Although already a member of the Mavericks, Kidd started for the Eastern Conference in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, as he had already been named as a starter prior to the trade. The Mavericks made a strong playoff push following the trade, but despite a 51–31 record, they were only able to secure the seventh seed in the highly competitive Western Conference. In the playoffs, they faced Chris Paul's New Orleans Hornets, and were eliminated in five games in the first round.

The following 2008–09 season saw Kidd and the Mavericks stumble out to a rocky start, losing eight out of the first 15 games; however, the team finished the season strong to earn the sixth seed in the playoffs with a 50–32 record. Kidd finished the season ranked third in the league in steals with 2.0 per game, his best average in six years. In the playoffs, the Mavericks upset the San Antonio Spurs, with Kidd leading the team in assists in all but one game; the Mavericks reached the Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2006. Kidd's season ended there as the Mavs lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games.

On July 5, 2009, Kidd verbally committed to re-signing with the Mavericks after being pursued heavily by the New York Knicks. The three-year deal reportedly was worth more than $25 million, all of it fully guaranteed.[37] In the first year of Kidd's new contract in the 2009–10 season the Mavericks finished second in the Western Conference with a 55–27 record during the regular season. However, the season ended with another disappointment as the Mavericks lost in six games to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2010 NBA Playoffs. It was rumored that Kidd had gone through a flu just before the series began which might have affected his physical conditions. He did not speak to reporters after Games 5 and 6 and skipped the team's final meeting.[38]

Kidd won the NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks on June 12, 2011, defeating NBA All-Stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat. After appearing and losing in two different NBA finals, it was the first and only championship in his career. Despite a mid-season injury to Dirk Nowitzki, and a season-ending surgery to their starting small forward Caron Butler, the 2010–11 season turned out to be the best for the Mavs in the Kidd's era as they finished the regular season with a 57–25 record. On February 4, Kidd hit a 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Mavs a win in Boston over the Celtics, extending their winning streak to seven games.[39]

Kidd sparked the Mavericks' impressive run with a total of 42 points in the first two playoff games against the Portland Trail Blazers.[40] Dallas won the series 4–2. The Mavs then swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, with Kidd successfully guarding Kobe Bryant in decisive moments of close games 1 and 3.[41] In the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kidd was partly responsible for guarding young and athletic superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Kidd hit a tie-breaking 3-pointer late in overtime in a Game 4 victory at Oklahoma City to give his team a 3–1 lead.[42] Dallas defeated Oklahoma in five games. In the NBA Finals, the Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, despite being down after the first three. Kidd averaged 9.3 points, 7.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game during the Mavericks' 21-game championship run. At 38 years of age, he became the oldest starting point guard ever to lead his team to the championship.[43]

Shortened by a lockout the 2011–12 season turned out to be the last for Kidd in the Mavericks uniform. With 39-year-old Kidd averaging career lows in minutes, points and assists for the regular season, the defending champions were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2012 NBA playoffs.

Kidd as a Knick guarded by Washington's John Wall

On July 12, 2012, Kidd signed with the New York Knicks.[44] After making a verbal commitment to re-sign with the Mavericks, Kidd changed his mind and decided to sign a 3-year deal with the Knicks.[45] Kidd was expected to act as a mentor to Jeremy Lin but after Lin left to the Houston Rockets, it was assumed that Kidd would serve as a backup to Raymond Felton at the point guard position.[46] During the preseason however, the Knicks head coach Mike Woodson decided to start the season with both playmakers in the starting lineup and Kidd adjusting more to the shooting guard role.

With the new backcourt duo in the lineup, the Knicks opened the 2012–13 season with an 18–5 record while Kidd averaging 9.0 points per game on 44 percent three-point shooting in the first two months of the season. Nearly 40 years old, Kidd was asked to play almost 33 minutes per game in December. New York finished the season with 54 wins, an 18-game jump from the previous season. It was their first 50-win season since 1999–2000. The Knicks advanced to the second round of the playoffs, but lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games. Kidd struggled during the playoffs, when he was held without a field goal in his last 10 playoff games.[9] It was believed that overworking Kidd during the regular season had strongly affected his performance in the second half of the season and left him burned out for the playoffs.[47][48] Kidd retired on June 3, 2013, after one season with the Knicks and 19 seasons in the NBA. His announcement came two days after 1995 co-Rookie of the Year Grant Hill retired.[9]

On June 12, 2013, Kidd was named head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, replacing interim coach P. J. Carlesimo.[49] He is the third person since the ABA–NBA merger to debut as an NBA head coach the season after he retired as a player.[lower-alpha 1][50] In September 2013, Kidd bought a minority ownership stake in the team (from Jay-Z).[51]

On October 17, 2013, the Nets retired and raised his number 5 jersey to the rafters before a preseason game against the Miami Heat.[52]

Kidd was suspended for the first two games of the season after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor DWI charge stemming from an incident in July 2012.[53] Joe Prunty served as acting head coach for the team's season opener in Cleveland and their home opener against Miami.[54] He made his debut as head coach on November 3 in a loss to the Orlando Magic. On November 5, Kidd had his first victory as head coach in a 104–88 win over the Utah Jazz. On November 28, Kidd was fined $50,000 by the NBA for instructing his player Tyshawn Taylor to bump into him and intentionally spilling a cup of soda on the court in order to stop the game so his team could draw up a last-second offensive play against the Lakers.[55]

After a loss to the Chicago Bulls on Christmas Day, the Nets dropped to a disappointing 9–19 record. Many critics started to question Kidd's ability to manage a group of veterans that included Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson and there even appeared rumours that Kidd might be on his way out before the end of the season.[56] However, the Nets were able to turn things around at the beginning of 2014 and finished the season with a 44–38 record, while Kidd began to get recognition for his coaching skills.

On February 3, 2014, Kidd was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for January.[57] On April 1, 2014, he was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month a second time for March.[58] He became the fourth coach overall to win both Player of the Month and Coach of the Month honors. He also became the second coach, after Jeff Hornacek of the Phoenix Suns, to win both honors with the same team.[59]

In the first round of the 2014 NBA playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets eliminated the Toronto Raptors in a 7-game series. Kidd is the 19th rookie head coach in the league's history to coach his team in a decisive Game 7 on the road, and became the first one to win it.[60] In the semifinals, the Nets faced the Miami Heat and lost the series 4–1.

Kidd giving instructions to Matthew Dellavedova during his tenure as Bucks coach

On July 1, 2014, the Milwaukee Bucks secured Kidd's coaching rights from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for two second-round draft picks in 2015 and 2019.[61] The move did not come without controversy, as it was reported that Kidd had been seeking more management power over the Nets' general manager Billy King and after being denied began talks with the Bucks even though they still had a coach under contract in Larry Drew.[62] He later stated that he felt the Nets truly did not want him nor were they committed to building a contender.[63] In his return to Brooklyn on November 19, 2014, he was greeted with heavy boos and jeers.[64]

The Bucks were one of the biggest surprises of the 2014–15 season. Under Kidd's guidance the young team improved from franchise-worst 15 wins in the previous season, finishing with a 41–41 record to advance to the playoffs as the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee achieved that feat despite losing their 2nd draft pick overall Jabari Parker in December to a knee injury and trading star guard Brandon Knight to the Phoenix Suns in February. Kidd is the first coach in NBA history to lead two franchises to the playoffs in his first two years as a head coach.[65] Kidd finished third in voting for the Coach of the Year Award behind Mike Budenholzer and Steve Kerr.[66]

The 2015–16 season was less successful for Kidd, as the Bucks finished with a 33–49 record and did not qualify to the playoffs. On December 20, 2015 it was reported that Kidd would be out indefinitely as he would undergo hip surgery on December 21. While Kidd was recovering, his assistant Joe Prunty was acting as an interim coach.[67] On a positive note, Kidd moved rising 21-year old Giannis Antetokounmpo into a point guard position, which helped the young player to record five triple doubles in the season and make progress in most statistical categories. Despite the disappointing season, the Bucks owners issued Kidd a vote of confidence and mentioned a possible prolongation of his contract expiring after the next season.[68]

The following season Kidd led the Bucks to a winning record as they qualified to the playoffs for the second time in three years. Kidd had his projected starting unit available for just several minutes during the season. On February 9, the same day the shooting guard Khris Middleton was making his season debut after recovering from a hamstring injury, the power forward Jabari Parker went down with an ACL injury.[69] Despite the setback, Kidd had the Bucks finishing the season strong with a 42–40 record. In the first round of the playoffs against the Toronto Raptors, the Bucks took a 2–1 lead after game 3, but went on to lose the series in six games. On January 22, 2018, the Bucks fired Kidd after the team posted a 23–22 record midway through the 2017–18 season.[70]

On July 31, 2019, Kidd was hired as an assistant coach by the Los Angeles Lakers.[71][72] Kidd would go on to win his second NBA championship when the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in 6 games in the 2020 NBA Finals. It was his first championship as an assistant coach.