“A lot of late nights in the gym, a lot of early mornings, especially when your friends are going out, you’re going to the gym, those are the sacrifices that you have to make if you want to be an NBA basketball player.”
― Jason Kidd
“Championship teams are built on being prepared, playing unselfishly and being held accountable, and that’s how I expect to coach this basketball team. I am truly excited about this next phase of my basketball career.”
― Jason Kidd
“I just tried to play the game the right way. As you get older, Father Time is undefeated.”
― Jason Kidd
“I think we’re going in the right direction.”
― Jason Kidd
“We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees.”
― Jason Kidd
“I came in the league as not a shooter, not a scorer. My game was to play defense and make my teammates better. The most important stat to me was that left column – winning. Nothing else matters.”
― Jason Kidd
“There’s always room for improvement. We have a nucleus that’s pretty good. You want players that will help.”
― Jason Kidd
“You talk about Shaq, I would put Tim Duncan in that same category. Mr. Fundamental, just kept things simple. He is a great teammate, a great player, and a great person. When you have those ingredients in a champion, you just want to be a part of that and have an opportunity to play with him.”
― Jason Kidd
“Oh, I think, watching Magic, him being one of my… I’m one of his biggest fans, and just trying to emulate what he did, going out on the playground, and also playing with older guys.”
― Jason Kidd
“I think sometimes when trades are made the beginning of the season on paper, they look great. It just takes time. Sometimes the process by the media or outside influences or sources want it to be now. Sometimes it doesn’t work that way.”
― Jason Kidd
“There are many really good teams in our conference this season. Miami, Indiana and Detroit will be our fiercest opponents this year. But we just have to focus on our game and be patient with the realistic hope that we’ll be on top after all is said and done.”
― Jason Kidd
“The Knicks, they’re a very talented team.”
― Jason Kidd
“Yeah, I play a lot of their games. Going way back to Bulls vs. Lakers to the later Live stuff, I go at it quite a bit. More than anything tough, I play Madden.”
― Jason Kidd
“When I was a little kid I used to play with guys twice my age, so, I was the last one picked, so if I picked I knew that I had to get the ball to the scorer if I wanted to stay on the court, so that was pretty much my job.”
― Jason Kidd
“The 76ers currently play very good basketball, and we don’t. However, we are still only one win behind them. If we continue to improve, we should be on the top of our division at the end of the regular season.”
― Jason Kidd
“Kobe enjoys that situation. Stepping up and making the big basket or being involved in a key play.”
― Jason Kidd
“If there wasn’t any business and it was just strictly basketball, then there would be no issue, it would probably be done by now. But the team has to protect.”
― Jason Kidd
“The business always gets in the way of basketball.”
― Jason Kidd
“I’ve got to play free agency out, and I’ve got to look at all of my options.”
― Jason Kidd
“I’m a high-risk taker on the court in the sense of trying to squeeze things in there.”
― Jason Kidd
“I’m a football guy at heart; maybe I should have played football for a living instead, because I play a lot of football videogames; I’m really into them.”
― Jason Kidd
“I think that realistically we can shoot for the title this year. If we stay healthy and be persistent throughout the season, I think we have good chance to go all the way.”
― Jason Kidd
“Hard work does pay, and you just have to continue to work, and you got two guys, when you’re talking about Gary and myself, we have a God-given talent, but we worked at it and we’re happy to be where we are today.”
― Jason Kidd
“My biggest fear had always been getting hurt, and not being able to leave the game as a player on my own terms.”
― Jason Kidd
“I don’t care what sport you’re talking about. What you see with great franchises is structure – a structure that doesn’t just take you from year to year, but day to day.”
― Jason Kidd
“As a player, I always felt confident that if I was caIm, my teammates knew, ‘He’s going to do something to help us win.’ As a coach, my hands are really tied. I got to believe in my players. If they see I’m calm, they’ll believe I trust them, which I do.”
― Jason Kidd
“I don’t have tapes of meditation, but I put on the meditation station. I did as a player, too. I used to always play the game before the game happened. As a coach, I do the same thing.”
― Jason Kidd
“Apple has the radio stations, so I go R&B in the morning, and then I’ll go with some hip-hop before the game. But after the game, it’s more meditation music. It’s not artists; it’s more whatever is being played.”
― Jason Kidd
“I love ‘Gladiator’ and ‘300.’”
― Jason Kidd
“More than anything tough, I play ‘Madden’. I’m a football guy at heart; maybe I should have played football for a living instead, because I play a lot of football videogames. I’m really into them.”
― Jason Kidd
“I play on all the consoles, but Xbox, mostly. I’m versatile, though, so whatever’s going on, I’ll take care of it.”
― Jason Kidd
“I thought to myself, ‘All right, let’s take a look at your resume. You have no financial background. You have basketball, that’s what you have, for your whole life.’”
― Jason Kidd
“After I left the Nets, I found out what it takes to not just make the Finals, but to win a championship. I think I have a sense now of how you build a championship structure and how you maintain that structure.”
― Jason Kidd
“As a professional athlete, the small print says there could be a trade at some point in your career. Sometimes expected, sometimes not. You have to be able to handle that.”
― Jason Kidd
“I don’t know if we have any action going on, so there shouldn’t be anybody worried about the rumors if it entails the Milwaukee Bucks. This is our team.”
― Jason Kidd
“For us as coaches, we’re in a different locker room. So we’re coming in pregame, halftime. They spend a lot more time in that locker room than coaches.”
― Jason Kidd
“This is a tremendous opportunity to be named head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, and it’s a role I have been studying for over the course of my playing days.”
― Jason Kidd
“It was part of my recruiting to go to Cal because they knew I loved to play baseball. I don’t know if I was good enough to make the team, but I worked out with the guys, and it was a lot of fun.”
― Jason Kidd
“As a player, I can tell them they don’t want to rush to become a coach, because there is a lot that goes on. This is all something new to me. You can talk to a lot of the coaches… and they can tell you. Until you go through it, then you can understand what it’s all about.”
― Jason Kidd
“That’s why the fears of playing or coaching, you want to do everything possible to make it. A lot of teams make it look real easy, but it is hard.”
― Jason Kidd
“As a player, I could have the ball in my hands; I could kind of dictate what happens. I’m still learning, a young coach with young players. Sometimes I’m going to see things. They’re not going to see what I see. So it’s being able to translate that and help them see what I’m seeing.”
― Jason Kidd
“Someone gave me great advice. That when you’re looked on as a pioneer, or you start a trend, you’re not always going to benefit from it.”
― Jason Kidd
“I talked to Grant Hill, and I told him, ‘I played against you a lot, and now, hopefully, I’m getting to coach a player like you. Jabari has the opportunity to be a special player in this league. But it’s not handed to you. He’s going to work, and our jobs are to make him better each day.’”
― Jason Kidd
“I’ve played in small markets; I’ve played in big markets. For me, basketball is inside the arena. It doesn’t recognize what market you’re in. It’s about wins and losses, and that’s the way I approach it.”
― Jason Kidd
“I think cryotherapy is excellent for anybody and not just athletes.”
― Jason Kidd
“When you are on the floor, there’s no better feeling than when your teammates are into the game on the bench and are cheering for you and vice versa. When you come out of the game, you are cheering for those guys that are on the floor.”
― Jason Kidd
“I definitely will reach out to Cuban in the near future for advice going forward. Now that I’ll be on the business side of things – and he’s had a lot of success with that – that would be a guy to go to.”
― Jason Kidd
“When you look at myself, I’m a coach, and that’s what it’s all about. When you’re a player, you get criticized, and when you’re a coach, you get criticized even more because it’s about wins and losses.”
― Jason Kidd
“I’ve played the game for a long time.”
― Jason Kidd
“I wasn’t a guy who looked to score first. It was to get your teammates involved, to understand time and clock management and having fun with your teammates.”
― Jason Kidd
“The ball touched the paint a lot of times. When we talk about touching the paint, the ball touches the key for making a layup or making a play for a teammate. We’ve got to use our length and our speed. Defensively, getting deflections. Give up one shot and rebound.”
― Jason Kidd
“A lot of things get misinterpreted with me, I guess.”
― Jason Kidd
“More eyes on the court is better than just two eyes. There’s always a time for one voice. But when the guys are working, I believe in those guys working and making the players better. Hands-on.”
― Jason Kidd
“I think the big thing with O.J. – I’ve known him since he was in high school – and he’s a great kid, loves the game of basketball.”
― Jason Kidd
“I’ve always respected Coach Frank. I kind of publicly recruited him because I really need him and want him. I’m kind of the college recruiter now because he brings a lot to the table. He’s had success here and understands the good and the bad, so I’m recruiting him to join my staff.”
― Jason Kidd
“I just coach and get my guys ready.”
― Jason Kidd
“I was just one piece of the puzzle, a very small piece at that. I really enjoyed my time with the Knicks, and we had a great run.”
― Jason Kidd
“It’s funny because everybody has injuries, and different teams handle them differently.”
― Jason Kidd
“With the intention of signing Lin back, I saw that I can help.”
― Jason Kidd
“I just want to be in there at the end of the game to try to help the team win. The last six minutes of an NBA game is where you make your name, so hopefully I’m in there trying to help my guys win.”
― Jason Kidd
“I think if you’re consistent in this league, you’ll win a lot of ball games.”
― Jason Kidd
“I thought I was going to be a Spur.”
― Jason Kidd
“Being able to run an NBA team at 19 is not easy.”
― Jason Kidd
“It’s harder when you’re supposed to win. When you’re talking about the best players and the best teams in the world, when you talk about the Heat, you can ask them – it’s not easy.”
― Jason Kidd
“A lot of times late in your career, you don’t have a chance to win a championship.”
― Jason Kidd
“When the Heat were put together, there was talk of going undefeated. They didn’t get off to a great start, but they found a way to win back-to-back championships.”
― Jason Kidd
“Each individual has got to look themselves in the mirror and try and see what they can do better. Period. Point blank.”
― Jason Kidd
“Kobe is Kobe. He is one of the best to ever play this game. Given the opportunity, he can embarrass you.”
― Jason Kidd
“I wanted to go to San Antonio. I told them I was coming. I had to tell them that I was changing my mind and staying with the Nets. It was a day later when I had to tell them, but when I got back to Jersey, when I started thinking about the process, I felt a little more comfortable staying home.”
― Jason Kidd
“I wanted to see if I could win a championship in San Antonio.”
― Jason Kidd
“Joe Prunty will take over, and he will run the team. But nobody gets out of their lane. Joe will still be offense, and Sweeney will still be defense.”
― Jason Kidd
“A lot of wear and tear on my body. I’ve been blessed not to have too many surgeries.”
― Jason Kidd
“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. It is time to move on and think about maybe coaching or doing some broadcasting.”
― Jason Kidd
“The two things that are probably tied for first are winning a championship with the Mavericks and also being able to win a gold medal – two gold medals with Team USA.”
― Jason Kidd
“The biggest thing is winning. No matter what percentage, no matter what my numbers say in the sense of points, assists, rebounds and steals, it’s always been about winning.”
― Jason Kidd
“The best players have the mental advantage throughout the league.”
― Jason Kidd
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