Greg Brady: Thinks Jason Kidd’s a surefire Hall of Famer, but isn’t in the all-time top 10
Jason Kidd may be that rare case in sports whose career turns out as great as many thought it would. He went to Dallas second overall in 1994, between the “Big Dog” Glenn Robinson and Grant Hill, who was coming off back-to-back NCAA titles at Duke. And though Kidd ended up having the best career out of the three, that hardly makes him one of the all-time greats at the point guard position.
Kidd’s a 50/50 argument for inclusion among the top-10 floor generals. Yes, he led New Jersey to two Finals appearances. But those teams came out of a weak Eastern Conference only to get drummed by the Spurs and Lakers. Sure, he finally got his championship ring in 2011, but that was Dirk Nowitzki’s Mavs—a team that got hot for eight weeks and somehow beat Miami.
When players retire, it’s easy to lose track of who they measure up against. Kidd and Steve Nash? Comparable, though Kidd’s a much better defender. But Magic? Isiah? Stockton? Robertson? Certainly not. Most coaches would rather have had Gary Payton—at either end of the floor. Kidd’s a lock for the Hall, but one of the best ever? Only if the list is at least 10 deep.
Jim Lang: Believes that killer stats and masterful play make the case for Kidd
“Be quick, but don’t hurry.”
When the Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden, uttered those words back
in the halcyon days of UCLA basketball, he may as well have been talking about Jason Kidd. Throughout his exceptional NBA career, Kidd mastered the art of being quick, but never hurrying.
Kidd walks away from the NBA with a career average of 8.7 assists per game—better than both Steve Nash and Gary Payton. And whether it was his ability to make those around him better or come up with a key basket, Kidd should be remembered as one of the better point guards to ever play.
Just look at what he did in New Jersey. In 2002, he averaged 19.6 points and 9.1 assists per game in the post-season. In 2003, he averaged 20.1 points and 8.2 assists, willing the Nets to back-to-back Finals.
A 10-time all-star and five-time member of the all-defensive team, Kidd ranks third all-time in triple-doubles (102). He’s also the only player to accumulate 15,000 points, 10,000 assists and 7,000 rebounds. Plus, Kidd retires with the respect of friend and foe alike for leaving it all on the floor. He’s more than earned his way onto anyone’s list of all-time great point guards.
This story originally appeared in Sportsnet magazine. Subscribe here.