Jason Kidd Interested in Coaching Brooklyn Nets
By Eric He
Dec. 26, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA: New York Knicks guard Jason Kidd (5) against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Former Cal and NBA star Jason Kidd is attempting to go from the court to the sidelines.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Kidd is pursuing the vacant head coaching position of the Brooklyn Nets.
“Kidd has been talking with associates about the possibility of making the immediate leap from a Hall of Fame playing career to a head coaching job,” the report states, “and has been working to identify a staff of assistant coaches who could help him overcome the significant learning curve.”
Kidd retired last week after 19 prolific seasons in the NBA.
“I think it is the right time,” Kidd told ESPN New York. “When you think about 19 years, it has been a heckuva ride. Physically, I want to be able to participate in activities with my kids so it has taken a toll.”
Before his Hall of Fame career in the pros, Kidd was hooping it up in the Bay Area in high school and college.
He attended St. Paschal Baylon school in the Oakland Hills, where he received accolades such as the Niasmith Award as the nation’s top high school player and being named an All-American.
“He was a man amongst boys,” said Jon Barry, who played against Kidd in high school.
Kidd went on to play for the Cal Bears, etching himself as perhaps the greatest player to ever step on campus. He almost single-handedly turned a 10-18 team the previous year into a team that advanced to the Sweet 16 in his freshman season.
After two years at Cal, Kidd declared for the 1994 NBA Draft, and was selected second overall by the Dallas Mavericks. The rest would be history, but he had some of his best years with the then New Jersey Nets from 2001-2007, leading them to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.
Now, it appears that he would like to add more to that history, eager to jump right into the coaching ranks.
The Yahoo! report indicates that the Nets are currently in talks with Indiana Pacers associate coach Brian Shaw to become their next head coach, but there is some stiff competition from the Clippers and Nuggets.
So, if Kidd is knocking at their door, do they open it and let him take over the reigns?
It will be a risky move, considering that he obviously has no coaching experience, but Kidd has proven himself to be a leader on the court, and that experience could translate to a successful head coaching career.