Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
A little over a week after retiring from the NBA and leaving the New York Knicks, point guard Jason Kidd decided to take his career right into the coaching world, expressing interest in the Brooklyn Nets then-available coaching job. Like goats out in the field, the Nets jumped right in.
First of all, let me remind you that I am in no way criticizing what Kidd has done in his career as a player. He’s one of the greatest point guards the league has ever seen, ranking high up in several lists including assists, three pointers made and steals. The guy has been a true legend of the game.
What I am pointing out, is the fact that Kidd has absolutely zero experience as a head coach. The Nets want to throw him into the fire with a newly-assembled super team? How foolish.
The roster includes freshly-acquired Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry joining the likes of Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Deron Williams. The six of them together are undoubtedly the most star-studded roster the NBA has seen in recent memory — the term star being used gently with the Jet.
So, Brooklyn, you’re telling me you want to take such a roster and allow a guy without any experience to take over and coach them? Kidd was a phenomenal player, but in every other aspect of his life has been questionable at best.
The choices Kidd has made in his lifetime will ultimately affect his legacy as both a player and coach. We’re talking about a guy who — before he and Joumana divorced — punched his wife in the face during an argument. His now ex-wife is on record of explaining in detail of Kidd’s physically abusive lifestyle during their marriage and his inability to put the bottle down.
If Kidd had truly turned his back on his alleged gambling and alcoholism issues, would he have been busted for crashing into a telephone pole while intoxicated a little over a year ago?
Kidd said in reference to the incident: “It’s not difficult being responsible. I take full responsibility for my accident.”
Well, I’m getting a little sick of the apologies over the years. You can take full responsibility for as many incidents as you’d like, but if you cannot succeed in being the man it takes to lead your marriage, why should you be trusted to lead a team like the one Brooklyn has handed you on a silver platter?
People are jumping too quickly onto his bandwagon because of his NBA pedigree and forgetting what it takes to be a successful head coach in any sport — leadership. Sure, he’s shown leadership on the court. But as a coach, leadership means much more than that.
Kidd has plenty to learn and I have a feeling he’ll come to that full realization very quickly. Don’t crown the Nets just yet. In fact, don’t crown them period. Brooklyn will show what a terrible, ignorant and misleading decision they have made in due time.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior NBA Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
