Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd
File:Jason Kidd Nets coach.jpg: Keith Allison derivative work: Chrishmt0423 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Jason Kidd
Caption	Kidd in 2015
Position	Point guard
Weight lb	220
Birth date	23 March 1973
Birth place	San Francisco, California, U.S.
College	University of California, Berkeley (California Golden Bears)
Draft year	1994
Draft team	Dallas Mavericks
Career start	1994
Career end	2013
Coach start	2013
Teams	* Dallas Mavericks (1994–1996) * Phoenix Suns (1996–2001) * New Jersey Nets (2001–2008) * Dallas Mavericks (2008–2012) * New York Knicks (2012–2013)
Coaches	* Brooklyn Nets (assistant) (2013–2014) * Brooklyn Nets (head coach) (2014–2018) * Milwaukee Bucks (head coach) (2018–2021) * Dallas Mavericks (head coach) (2021–2023)
Halloffame	2018

Jason Kidd is an American former professional basketball player and coach, notable for his playmaking, rebounding, and defensive skills as a point guard. A two-time Olympic gold medalist and ten-time NBA All-Star, he ranks among the NBA career leaders in assists and triple-doubles. After a 19-year playing career, he transitioned to coaching, leading multiple franchises and earning recognition in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Early life and college

Born in San Francisco, California, Kidd attended St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda, California and starred at Miramonte High School before transferring to St. Joseph Notre Dame, where he attracted attention from McDonald's All-American Game selectors and recruiters from UConn, UCLA, Duke, Kentucky and Arizona. He matriculated at the University of California, Berkeley and played for the California Golden Bears under coach Lou Campanelli and later Todd Bozeman, earning Pac-10 Freshman honors, NCAA Tournament appearances, and All-American recognition alongside teammates who drew interest from NBA Draft scouts, USA Basketball personnel, and sports media outlets like ESPN and Sports Illustrated.

NBA playing career

Selected second overall in the 1994 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks, Kidd made immediate impact, earning NBA All-Rookie Team honors and sparking rivalries with guards from Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls franchises. Traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1996, he played under coach Danny Ainge and alongside teammates such as Kevin Johnson and competed in the NBA playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, and Utah Jazz. In 2001, Kidd was traded to the New Jersey Nets and, teamed with Kenyon Martin and coaching staff led by Byron Scott and later Lawrence Frank, led the Nets to consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003 against the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, earning All-NBA selections and NBA All-Defensive Team honors. Kidd returned to the Dallas Mavericks in 2008 in a trade that paired him with Dirk Nowitzki, leading to a 2011 NBA Finals championship over the Miami Heat featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. He concluded his playing days with the New York Knicks in 2012–2013, finishing as an NBA career leader in assists and triple-doubles and participating in multiple NBA All-Star Games and FIBA-sanctioned events.

Coaching career

Following retirement, Kidd became an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets under coach Jason Terry and head coach P.J. Carlesimo before being promoted to head coach of the Nets, where he managed personnel including Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Joe Johnson while navigating front-office changes involving executives like Sean Marks. Kidd then accepted the head coaching position with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he coached stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Eric Bledsoe and faced Eastern Conference competition from teams such as the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics. Hired as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks in 2021, he coached alongside executives like Donnie Nelson and managed rotations featuring Luka Dončić and Kristaps Porziņģis before parting ways in 2023 amid organizational shifts. His coaching tenure included playoff series vs. the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and involvement in league matters with the National Basketball Association office and collective bargaining elements influenced by the National Basketball Players Association.

Playing style and legacy

Kidd's playing style combined court vision, passing, rebounding, and perimeter defense, drawing comparisons to elite point guards from Golden State Warriors history and innovators like Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson. Renowned for triple-doubles, he appears alongside statistical leaders such as Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook in discussions about all-time assist and triple-double records maintained by Basketball-Reference and chronicled by NBA.com. His legacy influenced coaching philosophies adopted by guards in NBA G League development programs and international players from Serbia national basketball team and Spain national basketball team development pipelines. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, he is frequently cited in analyses by ESPN analysts and basketball historians at institutions like the Hoopshype archive and the NCAA statistical compendia.

Personal life and off-court activities

Kidd's personal life has intersected with public figures and institutions including legal proceedings in Monmouth County, New Jersey and media coverage by outlets such as The New York Times and Sports Illustrated. He has engaged in philanthropic work with community organizations in Dallas, Texas, Phoenix, Arizona, and Brooklyn, New York, collaborating with foundations linked to NBA players and teams, youth programs tied to USA Basketball and charity events like NBA Cares initiatives. Off-court ventures included endorsements with brands active during his career and appearances in broadcasts on TNT (American TV network), collaborations with agents registered with the National Basketball Players Association, and participation in international exhibitions involving FIBA World Championship participants.

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:American basketball coaches Category:National Basketball Association players Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees