Jason Kidd News: Pro Sports Daily

At 36, Dallas Mavericks' savvy Kidd can still steal the show

Comment

October 25

Dallas Morning News

"If you were building the perfect basketball player, using parts from various NBA stars, you would do well to start with Jason Kidd's brain. You can get the legs and a few other body parts elsewhere. Even Kidd acknowledges that. But he's quick to add that there's no substitute for basketball smarts. "I'd rather lose a step and know what I know," Kidd says, "than have that step back and not know anything." There is plenty to back up that statement. The numbers, the career and the fact that he's regarded as perhaps the best leader in the game all speak to the success the Mavericks' point guard has had in a remarkable 15-year run that he wants everybody to know isn't over yet. In fact, this ..."

NBA players will adjust if regular officials don't return

Comment

September 23

Dallas Morning News

"Jason Kidd was preparing to answer a question about the NBA using replacement referees during the preseason and perhaps in the regular season. Then, he caught himself. "There are too many cameras and mikes," he said. Intrusive media members won't get the unfiltered version of what players think about having replacement referees if the NBA and the referees' union cannot agree on a collective bargaining agreement before the season starts next month. The league is prepared to lock out the referees over what amounts to NBA chump change - less than $1 million separates the two sides, according to several reports. The referees have accepted that they will have to make give-backs to the ..."

Kidd, Marion reunited on Dallas

Comment

September 22

Dallas Morning News

"Jason Kidd remembers yesteryear like it was yesterday. Donnie Nelson (far left), the Mavericks' president of basketball operations, joined (from left) Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Nathan Jawai, Quinton Ross, Drew Gooden, Tim Thomas and Rick Carlisle as a new uniform was unveiled. He had a young, raw teammate on the Phoenix Suns who was just learning how good he could really be. And Kidd, as the point guard and leader of the Suns in 2001, made it his duty to cultivate the new kid. He saw Shawn Marion grow up that season. "He listened," Kidd said Monday. "You can ask him about our first playoff series with Sacramento, and he had to guard Peja [Stojakovic]."

Kidd won over by Dallas Mavericks' shot at winning

Comment

July 7

Dallas Morning News

"Jason Kidd has a reputation as one of the smartest players in the NBA. He knows the game. And he also knows a good situation when he sees one. That's why he will be re-signing with the Mavericks when free agents can make it official Wednesday. Kidd said Monday that the Mavericks' immediate future was the swaying factor for him coming back, rather than jumping to New York. A few extra million dollars didn't hurt either. But the prospect of rebuilding with New York couldn't compete with the Mavericks, who remain a solid playoff team that is a key piece or two away from being serious title contenders. Kidd is no less optimistic than owner Mark Cuban when it comes to the Mavericks' chances. ..."

Kidd decides to remain with Dallas Mavericks

Comment

July 6

Dallas Morning News

"Jason Kidd has agreed to come back to the Mavericks for a three-year contract worth more than $25 million, owner Mark Cuban said Sunday night. Kidd, 36, whom the Mavericks traded for in February 2008, had been pursued by the New York Knicks, among others, in the free-agent period this summer. "We are excited to have Jason Kidd back in a Mavs' uniform," Cuban said. "He was a major contributor for us last year, and we expect more of the same next year. "We also are excited to have him tutor [point guards] Roddy Beaubois and J.J. Barea. This is hopefully the first of several deals to come in the next couple weeks.""

Kidd to Stay in Dallas

Comment

July 6

New York Post

"With Jason Kidd off the radar, the Knicks now can focus on another 36-year-old free agent, Grant Hill, who visits their Westchester compound today. As expected, Kidd has made a verbal commitment to stay in Dallas, his agent Jeff Schwartz confirmed last night to The Post. As much as Kidd wanted to light up the Garden, be near his kids and play for coach Mike D'Antoni, the Knicks were never serious contenders because they couldn't make a competitive offer. The Knicks only could offer Kidd, 36, the mid-level exception for a maximum three years, totaling $18.2 million. Dallas' offer was $25 million. Though Kidd will deny it, there's speculation he used the Knicks' interest to get the ..."

Kidd Staying Put

Comment

July 3

Hoopsworld.com

"In this week's section geared exclusively towards the latest rumors floating around the NBA … Kidd Staying Put: An informed source has told HOOPSWORLD that Jason Kidd intends to return to the Dallas Mavericks for a three-year, $24 million contract. Kidd has indicated to the Mavericks and New York Knicks that he'll mull over their respective offers over the weekend. The Knicks are said to be offering Jason a guaranteed three years at the Mid-Level Exception (MLE) which works out to be approximately $18.1 million. Barring a surprising change of events, Kidd is expected to notify the Dallas on Monday that he'll take their offer which would start at approximately $7.25 million for the ..."

Forget any debate, Dallas Mavericks eager to re-sign Jason Kidd

Comment

May 16

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"When Jason Kidd helped lead the Dallas Mavericks past the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs, I giggled. When the same Kidd was embarrassed by the Denver Nuggets' Chauncey Billups in the second round, I retched. I suspect most of you shared those conflicting emotions. In those two scenarios lie the ever-present dilemmas the Mavericks face as they decide whether to re-sign their 36-year-old point guard to a new contract. Kidd is good enough to take the Mavs to a certain point, but in the NBA's Western Conference with its profusion of ultra-talented point guards, he's eventually going to run into someone — Chris Paul, Billups, somebody — who eats his lunch and makes him ..."

Dallas Mavericks' Kidd undone by Denver's aggressive concept

Comment

May 4

Dallas Morning News

columnist David Moore

"Jason Kidd had eight turnovers. Next I suppose you will try to tell me that Arlen Specter is no longer a Republican. The Mavericks' normally unflappable point guard was rattled by Denver's frenetic, trapping defense. A player who turned the ball over three times in the team's first-round series with San Antonio now owns the Mavericks' postseason record for most turnovers in a regulation game. "Well, if I was going for a triple-double, I should have stayed in and kicked it around a couple of more times," Kidd said. "I should have been more aggressive and held the ball longer instead of picking it up. When I picked it up, they swarmed me. That's what they live for." The Mavericks won't ..."

Billups, Kidd worth exclamation points

Comment

May 3

Denver Post

columnist Dave Krieger

"The hottest point guards in the NBA's Western Conference are Deron Williams, 24, and Chris Paul, who turns 24 on Wednesday. Everybody says so. So why will the two of them be watching the rest of the playoffs on television while Jason Kidd, 36, and Chauncey Billups, 32, face off in the conference semifinals beginning this afternoon? "There aren't many point guards under 30 (still) playing," Nuggets coach George Karl said Saturday. "Derek Fisher and Chauncey and Jason are kind of proud, older, veteran guys, and they're still pretty good when it counts. I think young players get a lot of attention, and most of it is earned, but some of it is given to them, in my opinion." Kidd and Billups ..."

Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups kick it old school

Comment

May 3

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"The NBA is a world of sizzle and glamour and bling. And yet, the Dallas Mavericks' Western Conference semifinals match with Denver will feature two point guards who couldn't care less about behind-the-back glitz. Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups are old-school warriors. Forget sizzle. They are grade-A, superior-quality point guards for whom winning is the only meaty issue. "This series," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said Saturday, "will be a better-basketball DVD on how to play the point." The young, flashy point guards of the "now" NBA are Chris Paul and Deron Williams. They're also on vacation. Kidd and Billups? They represent the best of the vintage point guards left playing. "It's two ..."

Mavericks want free agent Kidd to return

Comment

April 30

Dallas Morning News

"Though it looked at the time like Jason Terry knew something the rest of us didn't, he said Wednesday his comment about Jason Kidd's future was not a sign of Kidd's imminent departure from the Mavericks. After the Mavericks closed out San Antonio on Tuesday, the sixth man of the year said on a postgame television interview that Kidd "is probably not going to be with us next year." That caused a stir among Mavericks fans, but Terry said he wasn't privy to any future personnel decisions by the team. "Basically, I was saying the time is now to win," Terry said via e-mail. He added that since Kidd is a free agent this summer, there are no guarantees that Kidd will be in Dallas. Owner Mark ..."

Kidd has become the heart of Dallas Mavericks

Comment

April 18

Dallas Morning News

"The face of the Mavericks' franchise is Dirk Nowitzki. It's the fingerprints that have undergone a change this season, particularly over the last couple of months. Not coincidentally, the identity alteration has coincided with improved play. A strand of Jason Kidd's DNA has been weaved into the fabric of this team. "There's no question about whose team it is," Jason Terry says. "J-Kidd, how he goes, we go. It's his show. "He feels more confident in the structure and the way this team is set up. He's had a year to get comfortable. And he's going to have a great series. He knows this is his year." As they start the playoffs tonight against San Antonio, the Mavericks can look themselves ..."

Mavericks can still prove a point

Comment

April 12

Dallas Morning News

columnist Tim Cowlishaw

"I can't be honest and say that Mavericks fever has taken over the city of Dallas. In fact, I think for a lot of sports fans, the first week of the Rangers season seemed more significant than the final week of the Mavericks season. But I think we learned one thing, once and for all. Starting with the 140-116 victory over the Phoenix Suns and continuing through the thrashing of the Utah Jazz that gave Dallas the chance to leap out of that dreaded No. 8 spot in the Western Conference standings, and concluding with Friday's win over New Orleans, we figured out that the Mavericks need Jason Kidd. They need him now. They need to re-sign him for next year. Without him, they are a team with no ..."

Jason Kidd shows a Magic touch

Comment

April 6

Dallas Morning News

columnist David Moore

"Steve Nash offers his congratulations. One million assists is a lot. Jason Kidd laughed at the joke as the two stood near midcourt. The Mavericks point guard had no idea. Sunday's purpose was to leave Phoenix all but dead and buried in the playoff race, not to pass Earvin "Magic" Johnson. But as the crowd cheers and Kidd learns late in the first half that he bumped Johnson from third place on the NBA's all-time assist list, his thoughts drift to one of his boyhood idols. For the statistical sticklers among you, Kidd is still shy of a million assists. He's at 10,148 and counting. He picked up 20 Sunday to fuel the Mavericks' 140-116 victory. Afterward, Kidd talks more about what the win ..."

The Q with Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Kidd

Comment

March 30

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Q: You started the game guarding LeBron James. Did you volunteer for that assignment, and how do you think it worked? A: Well, he almost had a triple double in the first half (nine points, eight assists, five rebounds), so I don't know how much that worked. He's so talented. He can find the open guy. He's so unselfish and scores when he has to. You just hope he misses and that he turns the ball over, and he hasn't done that for a while. You just try and make it tough on him. We were going to double-team him anyway. So I just started on him to give him a different look and try to make him shoot jump shots. I was fresh. It wasn't like I was going to guard him the whole night. Q: Is he the ..."

Kidd shows he wants challenge

Comment

March 30

Dallas Morning News

"Jason Kidd on Sunday came through with one of those acts of leadership that sometimes go unnoticed. Kidd informed coach Rick Carlisle he wanted a chance to guard LeBron James from the opening tip. Kidd said he was feeling great physically after resting his back for one game. The result? James was 3-of-11 in the first half and had nine points. Yes, he had eight assists. And he would make a flurry of jump shots in the third quarter, when the Cavaliers pulled away. But Kidd's move showed guts and sent a strong message to his teammates. It could have backfired. But it didn't. Kidd did a commendable job on James, even if it didn't translate into a victory. It was as if Kidd was saying to his ..."

Kidd dismisses talk of free agency

Comment

March 30

Dallas Morning News

"When the Mavericks' season is over, Jason Kidd will be a free agent with plenty of options. His phone will be ringing nonstop. But there's one call he hopes he doesn't get - from LeBron James. After Sunday's loss to James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kidd said he tries not to think about James calling him and suggesting a reunion next season. The two became friends when they played together for the U.S. Olympic team. "Yeah, that's a hard call," Kidd said. "You don't want to answer the phone. I just have to explore my different options I'm going to have this summer." Kidd tries not to think about the summer. There's plenty of season left for the Mavericks. But with the Mavericks playing ..."

Mavs feel Kidd's absence from lineup

Comment

March 28

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Jason Kidd turned 36 on Monday and a few days later his lower back felt closer to 66 after he took a bad fall against Golden State. So for the first time this season, the Dallas Mavericks didn't have Kidd on Friday night against Denver. Is it a coincidence that they lost a two-point game, after going 16-3 in games decided by five points or fewer with Kidd on the court? Is it a coincidence they gave up 56 percent shooting and had trouble getting easy shots of their own, leading to 35.6 percent shooting?"

Dallas Mavericks aren't cutting it with Jason Kidd

Comment

March 5

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"It's getting harder to debunk Tony Parker's words, let alone defend his game. After all, San Antonio's steely point guard has been the driving force behind the resolute Spurs snagging the reins to this rivalry back from the Mavericks ever since, coincidentally or not, Jason Kidd arrived in Dallas 13 months ago. Entering tonight's fourth and final meeting of the regular season at American Airlines Center, the Spurs have won three of four in the series and two straight. The Mavs relinquished control after taking five of seven with a stretch of four in a row before last season's Devin Harris-for-Kidd swap. Other contenders in the Western Conference have also gained momentum against Dallas. ..."

Mavs' Kidd registers 10,000th assist

Comment

March 2

Dallas Morning News

"It was a wonderful night for the Mavericks' new-era Three J's. First, Jason Terry was back in action, barely three weeks after suffering a broken bone in his non-shooting hand. Then, Jason Kidd dished out 15 assists, pushing his career total to 10,002 and making him the fourth player in NBA history to top 10,000. Those were important events. But maybe the most vital contribution came from the least known of the J's - James Singleton - who gave the Mavericks a newfound anchor in the paint and paced them to a 109-98 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday at American Airlines Center. Singleton had 12 points and 16 rebounds. He brought a toughness and the sort of energy that made a ..."

Kidd saves his points for last in Dallas Mavericks' OT win

Comment

February 28

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"The cold Jason Kidd was battling Friday night was symbolic of his shooting touch in regulation. Through four quarters, the Mavericks guard took just a handful of shots, blanking on them all. But come overtime, even if Kidd's health wasn't great, his offensive production was. Kidd scored all 10 of his points in the extra five minutes, including two 3-pointers that pushed the Mavericks past the young Oklahoma City Thunder 110-108. Dirk Nowitzki scored 41 against the Thunder, who are now 3-17 in games decided by six points or less. But it was Kidd's overtime heroics, which included two free throws with 6.4 seconds remaining, that sealed it. "Yeah, that's when I showed up," Kidd said of ..."

With Terry out, Kidd has to raise his game

Comment

February 8

Dallas Morning News

columnist Eddie Sefko

"Life without Jason Terry was no picnic for the Mavericks on Saturday night. It won't be any fun for the next few weeks either, which is how long he's expected to be out. Fortunately, they still have that other Jason. Jason Kidd was having a nondescript game against Chicago until he saved the Mavericks with a 3-pointer that forced overtime. All that did was set the table for him to make a critical defensive play against Bulls' rookie Derrick Rose. In overtime, Kidd made a vital jump shot and dished out a couple of assists. "What Kidd did out there was beyond belief," coach Rick Carlisle said. "He's in on so many plays at both ends of the court. His five points were the biggest five ..."

Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki enjoy rare late-game rest against Pistons

Comment

January 25

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki watched much of the fourth quarter of their game against the Detroit Pistons on Friday from a strange place: the bench. It was a wish come true. They sat because the Mavericks had a comfortable lead. They still played their regular complement of minutes - Nowitzki 37 and Kidd 33. But there was no late-game stress or wear and tear on their bodies. Nowitzki has said several times recently that he'd like to rest late in the game, but the Mavericks seem to play so many close games that it's not possible. "We've really been grinding out games all year long," he said. "But if that's the way we're going to play, we just have to deal with it. At least we've found a way ..."

Dallas Mavericks' Jason Kidd not discouraged by bad game

Comment

January 13

Dallas Morning News

"Jason Kidd was analyzing what he could have done differently against Sacramento and he came up with the perfect solution. "Make a shot," he said. Actually, he did make one. And then he missed the next eight to finish 1-for-9. On a night when the Mavericks needed offensive punch from somewhere other than Jason Terry and the under-the-weather Dirk Nowitzki, Kidd came up empty. "That ruined the whole day," Kidd said of the first shot. "That was fool's gold. But you got to come back tomorrow and let them go." Kidd said Denver will try to bait the Mavericks into 3-point shots tonight and it's critical that they shoot them judiciously. "They invite you to shoot the 3-ball," he said. "They ..."

In the NBA, it's the era of the point guard

Comment

January 11

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"When Jason Kidd was co-Rookie of the Year with Grant Hill in 1994-95, John Stockton led the NBA with 12.3 assists a game. Kidd finished 10th that season with 7.7 assists a game in his first year as a Dallas Maverick. In between those two, however, were eight point guards who had NBA careers that were respectable, but certainly not legendary. In order, the assists leaders that season after Stockton were Kenny Anderson, Tim Hardaway, Rod Strickland, Muggsy Bogues, Nick Van Exel, Avery Johnson, Pooh Richardson and Mookie Blaylock. "Guys in that era were good players," New York Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh said. "But it's nothing like it is today. Some of those guys had good careers, ..."

Dallas Mavericks should keep custody of Kidd

Comment

January 11

Dallas Morning News

columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor

"It's time to stop whining about Devin Harris. The point guard is never coming back. So get over it. Move on. Not another word. Not about Harris being an All-Star this year. Or the draft picks the Mavs gave up to acquire Jason Kidd. Or how Kidd will turn 36 in March. You're better served trying to figure out what the Mavs will do with Kidd, especially with the trade deadline looming next month. If the front office is smart, it won't trade Kidd - unless it wants to make sure the team misses the playoffs. There's no player or draft pick who can adequately compensate the Mavs for losing Kidd, even if his $21 million expiring contract makes several general managers salivate. Really, there's ..."

Kidd Talks Of Joining Knicks, Shows He's Still Got It

Comment

January 9

New York Post

"Chris Duhon must have learned of Jason Kidd's remarks from the morning shootaround. Kidd said when he becomes a free agent this summer, he would consider the Knicks because of his love of coach Mike D'Antoni and the Garden, even though he would have to take less than market value. Duhon played his heart out last night and made the 35-year-old Kidd look 45. But that good stuff lasted just one half when the natural order of things was restored. Duhon was 9-for-9 in the first half for 22 points, bagging four 3-pointers and driving to the hole with grace as the Knicks built a five-point half-time edge. But, naturally, the Knicks blew the lead and the game. Duhon had just two points in the ..."

Madison Square Garden growing in Jason Kidd's free agency plans

Comment

January 9

New York Daily News

"The last time Jason Kidd replaced Stephon Marbury, he led the Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances. The Knicks may have a chance to use that same formula this coming summer, when Kidd becomes a free agent. Kidd, who has told close friends that he would love to finish his career in New York, did not rule out the possibility of signing with the Knicks in July when asked about his future Thursday. "Yeah, why not?" Kidd said. "I'm going to look and see. Coach (Mike D'Antoni) is great. And I got to know him a little bit this summer (at the Olympics)." The Knicks would have mutual interest in Kidd, whose presence would bolster their chances of landing LeBron James in 2010. James lobbied ..."

Kidd: New York is prime spot for 2010 free agents

Comment

January 9

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Jason Kidd played almost seven seasons in the greater New York area with the Nets, so when the Knicks came to Dallas on Thursday, writers covering the Knicks were interested in catching up with Kidd. He was asked about a variety of issues - the new Knicks of coach Mike D'Antoni instead of Isiah Thomas, the attractiveness of New York to the premier free agent class of 2010, and Stephon Marbury as a potential Mavericks player. In November, the Knicks made two major trades to rid themselves of future salary and to get in position to bid on the 2010 free-agent class, which includes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Kidd said that one or more of the premier players definitely will be ..."

Kidd says Mavs must beat Blazers, Jazz

Comment

December 25

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Jason Kidd turned to one of the most overplayed sports clichés in the book when talking about the Dallas Mavericks taking on Portland and Utah the next two days at two of the NBA's tougher venues to sneak out of with a win. "We have to make sure that we bring our 'A' game," the point guard said. "This is an important week for us, the last week of December. On the road or at home, we can improve." The Mavericks are 14-4 since a dreadful 2-7 start. They haven't posted many gems while surfacing from the abyss, but they have positioned themselves to make a push at the top half of the Western Conference with a favorable schedule ahead. At 16-11 and within only two games of all five teams ahead ..."

Kidd, Mavericks Sink Wizards to a New Low

Comment

December 22

Washington Post

"If the Washington Wizards haven't hit bottom yet, it's scary to imagine what that might look like. In dropping their sixth straight game and falling to 4-21 with a 97-86 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at Verizon Center last night, the Wizards certainly appeared to reach a new low. Yes, Dallas stars like Dirk Nowitzki, who scored 23 points, and Jason Terry, who came off the bench to score 25, did their part. But how to explain a string of easy alley-oop dunks by the likes of Devean George and James Singleton? "Who was the guy throwing the alley-oop?" asked Wizards Coach Ed Tapscott. "Jason Kidd. It's Jason Kidd who makes the difference and it's Jason Kidd who stretches out your defense. He ..."

Warm Welcome Expected For Jason

Comment

December 19

New York Post

"There were no bold predictions, no brash statements, no vow of payback. It was just Jason Kidd being Jason Kidd on the eve of what he insisted is only one game of 82. He downplayed his return. "This was not the game I looked for," Kidd said yesterday. "I looked to see who we were opening up with." Nets fans, on the other hand, grabbed pocket schedules at the beginning of the season to see when Kidd would return to New Jersey. They've known it's tonight seemingly forever. For 6½ seasons, Kidd was the heart, soul, spleen, small phalanges of the Nets. He promised he would do things - get them to the playoffs, make them superior to the Knicks, make his teammates better - then he did them. The ..."

No Kidd-ing? Nightmare is over for Knicks now that Jason is in Dallas

Comment

December 11

New York Daily News

columnist Mitch Lawrence

"Just when you thought it would never end, the Knicks' Net nightmare is over. With Jason Kidd safely based in Dallas, he can only render only so much damage to the Knicks. The days of Kidd and the Nets administering regular beatings at the Meadowlands or Garden to their Atlantic Division rivals are mercifully over. It seemed like they would go on forever, but it all came to an end last night when the Knicks actually stopped a Nets' point guard. And not just any point guard. Devin Harris had been playing as well as any superstar in the first quarter of the NBA season before the Knicks did to Harris what they could never do to Kidd. They took him out of his game. The nightmare officially ..."

Kidd remains force on floor

Comment

December 10

Dallas Morning News

"The Mavericks reached the 20-game mark Tuesday, and it was the 20th game that should silence critics who believe Jason Kidd needs to score for the Mavs to be at their best. Kidd scored plenty. He did everything else well, too, in one of his best overall games of the season. But the Mavericks lost to the Spurs in double OT. Kidd might be the Mavericks' MVP of the first quarter of the season. He has run the team adroitly and been the leader that everybody expected him to be. But he's also the kind of player who can dominate a game without scoring a point. He does it with defense. He does it with a steal. He does it by finding teammates with passes that nobody else in the league makes. He ..."

Despite naysayers, Mavs are happy to veteran Kidd in lineup

Comment

December 5

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Go ahead, drool over dreams of Devin Harris still wearing a Mavs' uniform. Curse the day that Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson - and yes, Avery Johnson, too, despite what he might be saying now - made that trade for Jason Kidd last year. Harris' eruption into an All-Star caliber player in New Jersey this season has made all that regret downright fashionable and I'd be the last one to try to dissuade you from wallowing in all that miserable angst. It was a bad trade because it didn't do what it was intended to do: carry the Mavs to another NBA championship run in 2007-08. It was bad because Harris will still be cutting and slashing to the basket when Kidd is in a rocking chair somewhere, ..."

Kidd, Dallas Mavericks taking good care of the ball

Comment

November 7

Dallas Morning News

"In the Dallas Mavericks' runaway win at San Antonio on Tuesday, Jason Kidd got a little irritated when one of his passes to Josh Howard was intercepted - by a Maverick. "Not that I got mad," Kidd said Thursday, "but when I was throwing the ball to Josh, Jet [Jason Terry] cut in front, and it kind of got bobbled and I got the turnover - not to say that I'm paying attention to it." Of course not. Players never keep track of their statistics - except on days that end in y. But Kidd's aversion to turnovers is emblematic of a great start in that department. The Mavericks are averaging a paltry 10.5 turnovers through four games. Granted, it's only four games, but it's good news, especially ..."

Jason Kidd is enjoying the faster pace being instilled by Rick Carslisle

Comment

October 9

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Jason Kidd has shrugged off some high turnover games in his 14-year NBA career. Such as the time he had 14 in 2000, and in 2003, when he threw it away 12 times - twice. Hey, turnovers happen. And when your game is part point guard, part magician, the rabbit sometimes gets stuck in the hat. Just look at the numbers. Kidd's 3,277 career turnovers put him behind John Stockton (4,244), Isiah Thomas (3,682) and Magic Johnson (3,506). While some might analyze Kidd's six turnovers, part of a team-wide 24 in Tuesday's preseason-opening win over Washington, and worry his skills are depleting, it barely raised coach Rick Carlisle's pulse. He expected a high number in the first game playing a faster ..."

Dallas Mavericks hope coaching change makes PG feel like Kidd again

Comment

September 22

Dallas Morning News

"In nine days, the Mavericks will convene for the 2008-09 season, and if you're wondering what they have learned since the commotion that engulfed the team four months ago, it can be summed up easily. Change is good. They are referring to new coach Rick Carlisle. But they also believe the transition from Avery Johnson will show an earlier change - trading for Jason Kidd - was a smart move. The fresh, upbeat atmosphere will be a theme as the Mavericks prepare for training camp, which will be held at SMU's new training facility. And one of the team's leaders insists the attitude has, indeed, changed. "Automatically," Jason Terry said. "It's obvious, if we come back and play the way we ..."

Kidd acting selfless on, off court

Comment

August 23

Arizona Republic

columnist Dan Bickley

"Casino owners are always happy. But there's one in Las Vegas who must be very excited. His name is Steve Wynn. He's a billionaire. And his wife, Elaine, is getting Jason Kidd's gold medal if Team USA wins one more game in China. "No, it's not a (gambling) marker or anything like that," Kidd said. "She's just a great friend and a really great person." More on that later. For now, all that matters is that the diminished Kidd played his best game as a 2008 Olympian, guiding a young team through a raging-hot street fight against Argentina in the semifinals. Kidd - a starter who had been averaging fewer than 14 minutes a game - displayed the experience sought by Team USA since their jittery, ..."

USA basketball is led by a Kidd

Comment

July 23

Orange County Register

"Kobe Bryant is playing in his first Olympics, never having worn a Team USA jersey before joining the team for the 2007 FIBA tournament. Teammate Jason Kidd has played so often for his country, red, white and blue is a regular part of his wardrobe. At 35, Kidd is the elder statesman on the latest version of Team USA and the most experienced in international play. His involvement with USA Basketball dates back to his college days when, as a freshman at Cal, he was selected to the elite team. "I think any time you can represent your country … (it) is a small token of giving back," he said. "This is what this country stands for and to have this opportunity, it's special. So I would never turn ..."

This Kidd has plenty of influence

Comment

July 13

Charlotte Observer

"Forward Richard Jefferson was asked what it would be like to play with an NBA point guard other than Jason Kidd. Jefferson, speaking before Kidd was traded from the New Jersey Nets to the Dallas Mavericks, said, "I don't want to find out." The folks behind the U.S. senior men's national team that will compete at the Beijing Olympics between Aug.8-24 feel the same way. Kidd, undefeated with the United States at 44-0, knows how to bring guys together. The U.S. team needs great chemistry if it hopes to reclaim gold. Shaky chemistry contributed to a sixth-place finish at the 2002 world championships and third at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2006 world championships."

It's Kidd, not Kobe, who is heart of Team USA

Comment

June 24

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist Gwen Knapp

"May we interrupt the Kobe Bryant Olympic Redemption Tour at the starting line and point out that a) he doesn't need to redeem himself; b) any attempt to make the Olympic men's basketball team about a single superstar turns the idea of redemption on its head; and c) if one person does define the 2008 team and a commitment to playing for USA Basketball, it would be Jason Kidd... Kidd, 35, was named to his fifth senior team when the U.S. Olympic roster was announced Monday. He already has a gold medal from the 2000 Games in Sydney. He has nothing to prove as an Olympian, and he has a contract that expires after next season. The extra time on the court this summer could jeopardize his ..."

Kidd among three with local ties on USA Basketball team

Comment

June 24

Dallas Morning News

"The United States basketball team will take a distinct Dallas area flavor to Beijing as it attempts to regain America's lost Olympic dominance. One-fourth of the 12 players named to the team on Monday have local ties. They are Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd and area high school products Chris Bosh of Lincoln and Deron Williams of The Colony. "I look forward to the challenge of winning a gold medal," said Kidd, who played on the 2000 gold-medal team in Sydney. As a veteran of five USA Basketball teams, he is 38-0 in international competition."

Sources: Dallas Mavericks' Kidd on U.S. Olympic roster

Comment

June 18

Dallas Morning News

"Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd is part of the Olympic basketball team charged with returning a gold medal to the U.S. Officials with USA Basketball have begun to extend formal invitations in recent days. Sources confirmed that Kidd received a call Monday to let him know he would be part of the 12-man roster that competes for the U.S. in this summer's Beijing Games."

Dallas Mavericks must cast Kidd in the right role

May 27

Dallas Morning News

columnist David Moore

"An unlikely comparison took shape over the holiday weekend. Jason Kidd and Indiana Jones aren't all that different. Too much time has passed for either to recapture the swashbuckling inspiration of his youth, but both retain a commanding presence and would benefit from a better script. The Dallas Mavericks acquired Kidd to make a difference, but they couldn't figure out how to use him or put him in positions to be successful. The result, in the words of Dirk Nowitzki, was another wasted season."

New coach of the Dallas Mavericks must show he can win with Kidd

May 3

Dallas Morning News

columnist David Moore

"The Mavericks haven't posted the requirements for a new head coach on any sort of message board. If they do, this will appear right after do you think Mark Cuban is a good dancer and can you work for him? Question Two: Do you believe Jason Kidd can still play? If answer is no, you need not apply."

Kidd-trade outcome ends up all fizzle and no steak

April 30

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"The Jason Kidd experiment fell woefully short as Hornets point guard Chris Paul stole the show."

No suspension for Mavericks' Kidd

April 29

Dallas Morning News

"Jason Kidd will not be suspended for his flagrant foul on Jannero Pargo on Sunday in Game 4. Pargo, who was thrown to the floor as he attempted a layup, said he has no problem with the league's decision."