Jason Kidd
Teams
Dallas Mavericks - 1994-96, 2008-12
Phoenix Suns - 1996-01
New Jersey Nets - 2001-08
New York Knicks - 2012-13
Playoffs
Appearances - 17 (1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013)
Conference Finals - 3 (2002,2003,2011)
NBA Finals - 3 (2002,2003,2011)
Championships - 1 (2011)
Awards and Honors
Rookie of the Year - 1995
All-NBA First Team - 5 (1999,2000,2001,2002,2004,2007)
All-NBA Second Team - 1 (1996,2003,2008,2010)
All-NBA Third Team - 0 (1998,2000,2001,2004,2006,2009,2011)
Hall of Fame - 2018
All-Time Ranks
Total Assists - #2
Total Steals - #2
Assists Per Game - #8
Three-Pointers Made - #11
Steals Per Game - #22
Total Rebounds - #65
Total Points - #89
League Leads
Assists Per Game (#1-1999,2000,2001,2003,2004, #2-1996,1998,2002, #3-2005,2007, #4-1997,2008, #5-2006,2009,2010)
Total Assists (#1-1999,2001,2003, #2-1998,2002, #3-1996,2004,2007, #4-2006,2008,2009,2010, #5-2000)
Total Steals (#1-2002, #3-1999,2009,2010, #4-1996,2001, #5-2003,2006)
Steals Per Game (#3-2002,2009, #4-1996,1999,2001, #5-2000,2003,2010)
Three-Pointers Made (#3-2010)
After leading the nation in assists as a junior at California with 9.1 per game to go along with his 16.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.1 steals, Jason Kidd was drafted #2 overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1994 NBA Draft.
As a rookie, he averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game, and led the league in triple doubles, the first of 11 times he would do that, which helped him win the Rookie of the Year award, tied with Grant Hill. He helped Dallas improve by 23 games over the previous season, though they still fell short of making the playoffs.
Kidd blossomed into a star in his second season, averaging 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. He was #2 in the league in assists, and it was the first of 15 consecutive seasons where he would finish in the top 5 in the league in that category. Even though he was playing well, there were issues between him and the team's other star players, and Kidd was traded to the Phoenix Suns during the early part of the following season.
Kidd was injured in his very first game with the Suns, causing him to miss 6 weeks, but he returned to lead the Suns to the playoffs, a huge accomplishment after starting the season 0-13. It was Kidd's first playoff appearance, and he wouldn't miss the playoffs again in his career.
In his second full season in Phoenix, Kidd led the league in assists for the first time, averaging 10.8 per game, while also averaging 16.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game. He was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time, but for the third time in a row, Phoenix was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
The next year, Kidd missed the final 15 games of the season after breaking his ankle, but he still led the league in assists again, and he returned during the playoffs, just in time to help the Suns advance past the first round for the first time in his career, though they wouldn't get any farther.
Kidd led the league in assists for the third straight season in 2000-01, but after the distraction caused by Kidd's arrest for domestic violence and the team losing in the first round of the playoffs yet again, Kidd was traded to New Jersey after the season.
Kidd made an immediate impact in New Jersey. He helped them double their win total from 26 to 52, made the All-NBA First Team, and led the Nets to the NBA Finals for the first time in their history after he averaged a triple double of 17.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 10.2 assists in beating the Celtics in the Conference Finals. The Nets ended up being swept in the Finals by the Lakers, ending their season without a title.
Kidd was even better the next year, averaging a career-high of 18.7 points per game and leading the league in assists for the 4th time with 8.9 per game. He led them all the way back to the NBA Finals, including sweeps of Boston and Detroit, but Tim Duncan and the Spurs knocked them off in 6 games.
Kidd led the league in assists for the 5th time in 6 seasons in 2003-04, and the Nets looked like they were headed for a third straight Finals before Kidd severely injured his knee in the second round of the playoffs. He continued to play, but was unable to score a single point in the team's Game 7 loss to Detroit.
After recovering from knee surgery, Kidd returned to join the Nets and his new teammate, Vince Carter, who had been traded to New Jersey while Kidd was out. The team had struggled in his absence, but they were able to rally enough to make the playoffs as the final seed, but they lost in the first round.
After two more seasons with the Nets, in which the team was good in the regular season but disappointing in the playoffs, Kidd was ready to move on. In the 2007 playoffs he had become the second player ever to average a triple double for an entire playoff run, but he still couldn't get New Jersey past the second round, and midway through the 2007-08 season, he was traded back to his original team, the Dallas Mavericks.
After three more early playoff exits with Dallas, Kidd was finally able to reach the ultimate goal in 2011, when the Dallas Mavericks reached the NBA Finals and finally won a championship, with Kidd averaging 9.3 points and 7.3 assists during the postseason run, becoming the oldest starting point guard to ever win a championship.
Kidd played one more season with the Mavericks, averaging career lows across the board, before signing with the New York Knicks for one final season before retiring at age 40. Kidd had been well-known, especially early in his career, as a poor shooter, but at the time of his retirement, he was #3 in career three-pointers made, a major improvement considering where he started.
Kidd averaged at least 8 assists per game in 16 straight seasons, and finished in the top 5 in 15 straight seasons. By the time he retired, he was #2 on the all-time leaderboard in both assists and steals, trailing only John Stockton in each category. He led New Jersey to the Finals twice during his prime, then played an important role on a championship team when he was 38 years old, and he is one of the best to ever play the game.
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