Kerry Kittles: Jason Kidd knew he had to change Nets culture from Day 1

Among those who’ve been linked to the Brooklyn Nets head coach opening is someone who previously held the position, and also starred for the New Jersey Nets at the turn of the century. Jason Kidd.

The former Nets point guard is currently an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, having previously served as the Milwaukee Bucks head coach from 2014-15 to 2017-18 after he got his start with Brooklyn in 2013-14.

With a new ownership group in place, Kidd could be in position to return to the franchise he took to the next level as soon as he was traded to New Jersey.

During a Q&A on the NBA’s Twitter account on Thursday, Kidd’s old teammate Kerry Kittles explained exactly how the point guard impacted the Nets upon arrival:

From day 1, Jason knew he had to establish a winning mindset that hadn’t been part of the culture prior to his arrival. He often spoke about committing to doing the intangibles, selfless acts that helps teams win. Jason mostly led by example though, often times going above and beyond what was expected. Soon, we all felt a burning desire to play for each other and not worry about individual stats. Playing three seasons with him and reaching the Finals twice were definitely the highlight of my NBA career.

The Nets culture has certainly changed and continues to evolve. Perhaps a taste of the team’s old winning ways could be of use.