No one in any respect ought to be stunned that Jason Kidd pointedly mentioned, in right this moment’s Finals media availability, that Jaylen Brown was the very best participant on the Celtics.
No one with even a toe within the NBA water is unaware of the fixed debate over Jayson Tatum’s rating within the NBA hierarchy and but, Kidd tried to be slick together with his not so delicate troll job.
“Nicely, Jaylen’s their finest participant, so simply what he does defensively, he picked up Luka [Doncic] full courtroom, he acquired to the free throw line. He did all the pieces and that’s what your finest participant does. He performs either side, protection and offense, at a excessive price and he’s been doing that the entire playoffs,” Kidd mentioned Saturday afternoon. “We’re speaking concerning the Jap Convention [Finals] MVP, it looks as if he’s continued the place he’s left off.”
When advised about Kidd’s feedback, Brown shrugged and responded, “I’ve no response. It’s a group sport and we’re attempting to give attention to that. Everyone has their very own opinions.”
Tatum echoed these sentiments and expanded, “no response. This can be a group sport. We perceive that we wouldn’t be right here with out JB on our group and let’s imagine that for lots of men, proper? We’ve all performed a component in attending to the place we’re at and we perceive that folks try to drive a wedge in between us. It’s a wise factor to try to do, however we’ve been on this place with guys attempting to divide us or saying that considered one of us ought to be traded or one’s higher than the opposite. It’s not our first time on the rodeo.”
Al Horford simply laughed and mentioned, “man, I see what he’s doing.”
It is simply the newest in a line of clumsy maneuvers by Kidd.
Flip your clocks again to Friday, February 26, 2010. Dallas trails Atlanta 95-97, with a couple of minute and a half left. The Mavericks’ level guard, one Jason Kidd by identify, comes trucking up the courtroom, and he notices that Mike Woodson, Atlanta’s head coach, is standing on the courtroom.
Now it is a no-no, nevertheless it’s additionally probably the most extensively ignored no-nos in skilled basketball. Kidd sees Woodson on the courtroom and makes a beeline for him. Woodson, realizing on the final second that as quickly as Kidd touches him, it’s an automated, no-questions-asked completely assured technical foul, jumps backward, nevertheless it’s too late. Kidd swings out his left arm and smacks Woodson.
Mavs are awarded a free throw and retain possession.
They finally go on to drive time beyond regulation and win.
Was it a legit play?
Positive, form of, I suppose.
It actually matches the letter of the legislation, and it in all probability taught Woodson to be a bit extra cautious about the place he places his toes, however check out the video. Kidd isn’t doing something however attempting to get that technical, there is no basketball play right here. If Woodson manages to get off the courtroom, Kidd is up a creek. After the sport he mentioned as a lot.
Quick ahead three years and alter, and Kidd is now teaching the Brooklyn Nets. They’re down two to the Lakers with 8.3 seconds left and the Nets are all out of timeouts. Regardless of, Kidd, cup of pop in hand, seemingly runs into Tyshaun Taylor (after instructing him to bump him), spilling his drink all around the courtroom.
Through the ensuing cleanup, the Nets are in a position to attract up a play in case Meeks misses one or each free throws.
Afterwards, it turns into fairly clear that Kidd orchestrated the stunt so as to steal a outing and he’s fined $50,000 by the NBA.
Lower than a 12 months later, Kidd tried to make use of his relationship with new Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, who had previously been a part of the Nets possession group, to leverage group president tasks from Brooklyn. This after only one 12 months on the job, and a reasonably underwhelming 12 months at that.
The Nets known as his bluff, and the following factor you recognize, Marc Lasry’s agreed to rent Kidd with out telling anybody, not the Bucks’ GM, nor their present coach, Larry Drew, no person. The Bucks’ GM, John Hammond, discovered that he had a brand new coach in a Saturday night time media report.
Kidd’s remark right this moment is simply one other ham-fisted little bit of manipulation, about as clear as any of his previous makes an attempt at gamesmanship.
