Tag: Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd’s analysis of Jaylen Brown unsubtly played mind games with the Celtics

Jason Kidd knows exactly what he’s doing.

The Boston Celtics walloped the Dallas Mavericks so badly in Game 1 of the NBA Finals that Dallas was likely forced to do some soul-searching. After initially reviewing the film and regrouping with his players, Jason Kidd seemingly took another tact — sowing division among the Celtics’ stars.

On Saturday, Kidd spoke during a press conference to discuss his latest impressions of the Celtics. He specifically highlighted Jaylen Brown — to most people, the clear No. 2 option on Boston’s roster — as the Celtics’ best player.

Why? Because he can score with the best of them and dominate on the defensive end. That … is also what Jayson Tatum can do, the Celtics’ actual best player, but usually at a higher and more consistent level.

I think you know where this is going:

Beyond any schematic adjustments and a bettor Mavericks effort in Sunday night’s Game 2, Kidd probably knows exactly what he’s doing praising Brown like this out loud. He’s likely hoping for one of two outcomes against a stacked Celtics team, both of which would be equally beneficial to the Mavericks:

  1. Brown hears these comments and takes matters unnecessarily into his own hands during Game 2, forcing the issue on the offensive end when he doesn’t have to.
  2. Tatum hears these comments and takes matters unnecessarily into his own hands during Game 2, forcing the issue on the offensive end when he doesn’t have to.

For what it’s worth, Tatum and Brown aren’t taking the bait, at least based on their public reaction.

These are just public comments. We’ll see whether anything changes for Tatum or Brown on Sunday night and through the rest of this Finals series. Whatever happens, it was worth a shot for Kidd.

‘I was acting like a Twitter user’: Sam Presti explains Boston Globe letter he wrote as a teenager

‘I was acting like a Twitter user’: Sam Presti explains Boston Globe letter he wrote as a teenager.

Over the last few months, a Boston Globe letter resurfaced and made the rounds online. A 16-year-old Sam Presti was the author of the letter. In it he vouched for the Boston Celtics to draft Jason Kidd in 1994.

“The rebuild of this once-massive dynasty must begin now,” Presti wrote. “We need to clean house; let players go and clear up salary room for our draft pick. Although the draft is not incredibly deep this year, I do see a future star on the horizon.”

That didn’t happen. Kidd was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 2 pick, and the Celtics settled for Eric Montross at No. 9.

But the letter foreshadowed Presti growing into one of the best general managers in the league. The 46-year-old has been the Thunder’s GM since 2007, building two separate title contenders with a short rebuild sandwiched in the middle.

Presti was asked about the letter in his end-of-season press conference. With a hint of embarrassment, he linked his piece of work to social media usage.

“I think it’s very evident that I was acting like a Twitter user in 1993. I was frequently wrong but never in doubt,” Presti joked. “I had 100% confidence in my opinion with 10% of the information. I was an expert with no expertise.”

Presti revealed he wrote the letter as a high school sophomore and was surprised it was published by the Boston Globe. He said he talked to Kidd — who’s now Dallas’ head coach — about it before OKC’s second-round series against the Mavericks.

“It’s super humbling and to talk to Jason Kidd, he brought it up to me before the series started because someone had asked him about it,” Presti said. “It was great because I remember he opened my eyes while I was watching college basketball and some of the stuff he was doing.”

Presti might’ve been humbled about the experience, but his younger self was right about Kidd. He had a Hall of Fame career while Montross washed out as a backup big.

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Former Net Jason Kidd has a message for Vince Carter

As part of the Brooklyn Nets’ announcement video of Vince Carter’s jersey retirement, former teammate Jason Kidd had something to say.

The Brooklyn Nets made quite the splash on social media when they announced that former Net Vince Carter will have his jersey retired during the upcoming 2024-25 season. Plenty of people within the NBA world had something to say about Carter’s jersey finally being retired, but those don’t quite match up to the words of a teammate.

As part of the announcement video that the Nets posted on their “X” account, Carter was able to see some of the best plays that he made during his time with the franchise and give his reaction to them in real-time. To make the event more interesting, he also was able to see what one of his best teammates, Jason Kidd, had to say about his jersey being retired.

“Congratulations on having your number retired next to mine, number five (Kidd’s number with the Nets). We got five and 15 (Carter’s number),” Kidd said in the video. Kidd’s jersey was retired by the Nets organization during the 2013-14 season and was the last jersey to be hung in the rafters of Barclays Center prior to this announcement.

“You made the game so easy, maybe too easy,” Kidd continued. “Congratulations on having an incredible career. I think you played 40 years, somewhere around there. Well-deserved, but understanding you were one of my best teammates in New Jersey. Again, made the game easy, you made me look good. So, thank you.”

Carter and Kidd spent four seasons together as members of the Nets, known as the New Jersey Nets at the time, and went to the playoffs in three of those seasons. While the duo made it as far as the second round in two of those three seasons, they also had a combined five All-Star appearances between the two which seems to be the ultimate testament of making each other look good.

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Jason Kidd impressed by what Sam Presti has built with the Thunder

Jason Kidd impressed by what Sam Presti has built with the Thunder.

Social media recently uncovered a gem: a 16-year-old Sam Presti vouching for the Boston Celtics to draft Jason Kidd in 1994.

Presti campaigned via the Boston Globe why the Celtics should draft Kidd. He mentioned his playmaking and basketball IQ as reasons they should add him to their roster.

The Celtics didn’t have a chance to prove Presti right or wrong. Kidd was taken with the No. 2 pick by the Dallas Mavericks and the Celtics settled for Eric Montross with the No. 9 selection.

Before the Thunder’s Game 1 win over the Mavericks, Kidd, who is now the Dallas head coach, agreed with Presti’s assessment from 30 years ago.

“He was right,” Kidd joked.

The 10-time All-Star enjoyed a successful career as one of the best point guards of his era. A second stint with the Mavericks as a player was rewarded with a championship in 2011.

Kidd hopes to bring Dallas another ring but as the head coach. In his third season, this might be his best shot yet to realize his ambition.

Kidd coaches arguably the best star duo in the league. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving had a monster postseason debut in their first-round win over the LA Clippers. Each averaged 25-plus points.

They’ll need to continue to do that against the Thunder, who Kidd has had his fair share of postseason battles as a former player. The Mavericks defeated OKC in the 2011 Western Conference finals en route to a championship. The next year, OKC avenged the loss by sweeping Dallas in the first round.

The one constant from those 2011 and 2012 Thunder squads and this season’s is Presti. He’s one of the longest-tenured GMs in the league and is widely considered one of the best in his business.

Kidd praised the Thunder’s general manager, saying he’s done an incredible job at cracking open another championship window with this second iteration of OKC.

“It’s amazing what he has built here,” Kidd said. “Not just this team, but the teams that have come before this. He has an eye for talent and has done it at a very high level.”

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Mark Daigneault addresses facing the Mavericks in Round 2 of NBA playoffs

Mark Daigneault addresses facing the Mavericks in Round 2 of 2024 NBA playoffs.

After a four-day wait, the Oklahoma City Thunder finally found out who their second-round matchup will be on Friday: the Dallas Mavericks.

The two-headed monster of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving rivals the best duos in the league. They lived up to the hype in their postseason debut with a first-round series win over the LA Clippers. Each averaged 25-plus points.

The first-seeded Thunder are enjoying another weeklong break between playoff series. A sweep against the New Orleans Pelicans gifted them the impromptu vacation.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed the Mavericks for the first time since they advanced to the second round on Sunday. The Coach of the Year winner was very complimentary of his opponent, stating they’re one of the last eight teams left for a reason.

“Anybody advancing in the playoffs is a really good team. We obviously have a lot of respect for them,” Daigneault said about the Mavericks. “They’ve been playing exceptionally. … Post trade deadline I thought that really changed their team. … Obviously a tall task for us.”

The additions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford have improved the Mavericks. Since the All-Star break, they had the league’s fifth-best record (18-9).

Both could play huge roles in their matchup against the Thunder. Washington was Dallas’ third-leading scorer behind Doncic and Irving in the first round. He can stretch the floor and give OKC troubles on the defensive end.

Gafford is the prototypical rim-running big who’s given OKC problems all season. He can be a hindrance to the small Thunder as a rolling center with enough athletic pop to constantly be a lob threat.

The Mavericks might rely on both more than they did in the first round. Backup big Maxi Kleber will likely miss the Thunder series with an AC joint shoulder separation. He will be reevaluated in three weeks.

Daigneault believes Kleber’s absence could cause the Mavericks to reshuffle their frontcourt rotations. He played a key role against the Clippers as a stretch forward.

“Our guess for them is to stay big. But we’re ready for everything,” Daigneault said about Kleber’s injury. “It definitely changes their looks in the frontcourt.”

The Thunder will get their first chance against the Mavericks on Tuesday, May 7. Game 1 will be held at Paycom Center.

Once that contest is concluded, Daigneault will have a clearer picture of what he’s working against in second round.

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Mavs coach Jason Kidd gives thoughts on Sixers’ Joel Embiid’s injury

Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd gives his thoughts on Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid’s injury.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with a major injury:  Joel Embiid will be out for at least a month after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus injury in his left knee.

The Sixers will reevaluate him in four weeks.

The Dallas Mavericks know a thing or two about injuries. Star guard Kyrie Irving has dealt with a variety of ailments, so coach Jason Kidd has an idea of what needs to be done when it comes to missing key pieces out on the floor.

Before the Mavericks knocked off the Sixers, 118-102 on Monday, Kidd gave his thoughts on Embiid’s injury.

“I think for Embiid it’s tough and you never wanna see an athlete have a surgery in midseason,” Kidd said. “Especially, with his abilities both offensively and defensively and what he means to the 76ers. Understanding he’s the MVP, he’s one of the best players in the world, so right now that’s probably a tough hole to fill.”

It is certainly is. The Sixers are 4-11 without Embiid and have had trouble rebounding, getting key stops and making buckets they normally get when he’s on the floor.

However, his injury creates opportunities.

“That gives those guys opportunity that don’t get those minutes,” Kidd added. “Just being in our seat, we’ve seen a lot of injuries so that gives other guys an opportunity to play so they have to step up. That can be dangerous at times because they have talented guys over there. Everybody’s a pro and they wanna show the coach and their teammates that they can play at a high level.”

The reigning league MVP was having a phenomenal season. He’s averaging 35.3 points per game and scored a career-high 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 22. The Sixers will miss everything he brings to the floor.

“Embiid is one of the best players in the world,” Kidd finished. “Just hope for a speedy recovery.”

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Jason Kidd is ‘jealous’ of LeBron James’ longevity

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, an assistant with the Lakers when they won the NBA title in 2020, marveled at LeBron James’ longevity.

In the 2000s and early 2010s, Jason Kidd was the model of what an NBA point guard should be in a traditional sense. He dictated a fast and steady pace, slowed things down when needed and got the ball where it needed to go, and he was a floor general and almost a coach on the floor.

He was an effective player very deep into his 30s, and he finally got his world championship ring in 2011 as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, the team he is now the head coach of.

During the 2020 season, Kidd got another ring as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, which gave him an up close and personal look at a late-career LeBron James. Before his Mavs visited the Lakers on Wednesday, he marveled at how well James is playing at age 38.

Via Sports Illustrated:

“Yeah, I’m jealous,” Kidd said before Wednesday’s game. “I’m for sure jealous of what he’s able to do at this point of his career. He looks like he’s 25 or 27, somewhere in between there.

“Listen, he looks great. But I think with the understanding of being around LeBron, he takes care of his body. Everybody talks about his body, but I think it’s more his mind,” Kidd said. “Just being young, he doesn’t feel old. He has a lot of energy, he loves the game of basketball, and he’s always out to prove that he can play at a high level or prove someone wrong. And he’s doing that right now. He might play to 50 if he wants.”

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer not only takes great care of his health, but as Kidd pointed out, he also works on his game during the offseason.

“He’s a champion. His IQ is off the charts, he knows what people are doing before they do it,” Kidd said. “But I just think every summer, he’s always trying to add something to his game, and he’s played for 50 years now. It’s just amazing that he could do 50 different things each summer.”

In 15 games this season, James is averaging 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists a game. What is most impressive is the fact that he’s shooting 57.8% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range.

LeBron James surpasses Jason Kidd for fifth-most career triple-doubles

On Wednesday, LeBron James had his 108th career triple-double, which moved him past Jason Kidd for the fifth-most in NBA history.

Even at age 38 and in his 21st season, the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James is showing no signs of slowing down.

He is shooting a high percentage (57%)  as well as 37.3% from 3-point range, and he’s putting up 24.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists a game even though his playing time is down.

On Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings, he had 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, giving him his first triple-double of the campaign. It was the 108th of his career, which moved him past Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Jason Kidd into fifth place on the list of the most career triple-doubles in NBA history.

In addition, he became the second-oldest player to ever record a triple-double. The oldest was Karl Malone, who, interestingly enough, did so as a member of the Lakers during the 2003-04 season.

Jason Kidd on growing up around Bill Russell in Oakland, California

An underrated hotbed for NBA basketball that gave us the 11-time champ, Jason Kidd had a front row seat.

The City of Oakland, California has long been a hotbed of basketball talent, the hometown of NBA and ABA greats like Bill Russell, Paul Silas, Antonio Davis, Jim Hadnot, and later, Cliff Robinson, Drew Gooden, Damian Lillard, and Jason Kidd. And it was a tight-knit community that Kidd opened up about in an interview with Andscape’s Marc J. Spears from 2017.

“It’s underrated,” said the Dallas Mavericks head coach to Spears of his childhood home, now back in the spotlight with rising twin Overtime Elite prospects Amen and Ausar Thompson. “We don’t get the attention that New York or L.A. gets,” he added.

“But there are a lot of talented guys who have made it to the highest level of basketball, a lot of guys who didn’t make it who didn’t get the light they have deserved at a high level.”

Hall of Famer Jason Kidd declares Paolo Banchero the Rookie of the Year front-runner

The Hall of Famer also gave Banchero a lofty comparison to another Hall of Famer.

No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero is off to an incredible start with the Orlando Magic and is solidifying his place atop the rookie class.

Banchero on Monday became just the fifth teenager in history to record consecutive 30-point games (19 years, 360 days old) and the first since Zion Williamson in February 2020. He was the third rookie in team history to do so (Shaquille O’Neal, Dennis Scott).

He is averaging 23.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 46.1% shooting from the field this season. He has scored at least 20 points in nine of his 11 games and leads the rookie class in class in scoring. He is 22nd among all players in that category.

The early play by Banchero has earned high praise from several individuals around the league, including Draymond Green, Jayson Tatum and, now, Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.

Kidd declared Banchero as the favorite for Rookie of the Year.

He reminds me of Grant Hill. His ability to handle, bring it (up the court and) to be able to shoot the middy at a high rate. He is always under control. I hope he doesn’t take offense to that but Grant was pretty good. But someone at his size and to be able to bring the ball and do the things that he has done so far and he will only get better so that’s why I give him high praise of being Rookie of the Year right now. He has to be the favorite because of the things that he is doing.

While the Hall of Famer is seemingly a fan of Banchero, Hill also liked Banchero entering the draft. He loves the combination of size and skill that Banchero has and even wanted the Magic to select his fellow Duke brother prior to the draft.

Said Hill in June:

I followed Duke a lot this year and I covered them a lot in March Madness. Paolo has a great combination of size, skill and feel, and you don’t see that a lot in players. He is 6 foot, 10 inches and 250 pounds so that in itself is great size and not everybody has that. … Since I live in Orlando, and Paolo went to Duke, I’d like to see them take Paolo Banchero.

Certainly, earning comparisons to a Hall of Famer from another Hall of Famer so early into his professional career is high praise for Banchero. He even recently joined Hill in a bit of history after his quick start with the Magic.

He joined Hill and three others as the only players since the merger (1976-77) to record at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in a debut game. He also tied Hill for the most consecutive 20-point games in history to start a career (6).

Banchero is proving to be as advertised as the top pick and has helped transform the Magic on and off the court. The team is still some time away from putting it all together, but it is clear it has a star in the making in Banchero.

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