We all want to discuss Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James, but what of Jason Kidd?
The day after the 2011 NBA Finals ended, the story was LeBron (if you were most of the world) or Dirk (if you were part of the world that focuses on positives and not negatives). A third, fairly distant story was Jason Kidd -- the dude has been playing pro ball close to two decades (17 years to be exact) and finally got his first ring, after the two great powerhouses of his career (Spurs, Lakers) knocked him off in the NBA Finals twice before (with the Nets).
Personally -- this is just me speaking, not any type of broad consensus or anything -- I think Jason Kidd is a top five point guard of all-time. No. 1 should be Magic. That's almost unquestionable, I'd reckon. No. 2 should be Big Oscar Robertson, although some don't consider him a point guard. I personally don't (he's more of a "point forward" if we're splitting hairs), but this is the easiest list to include him on, so he goes here. No. 3 is John Stockton. He never won a ring, and that's sad, but the stuff he could do with a basketball is amazing. I used to watch so many Utah Jazz games late at night as a kid because of him. Bonus points: he is the first thing you think of when about nine different concepts are mentioned, including "pick and roll," "Utah Jazz" (I think of him ahead of Mailman, and you should to), "Gonzaga University," and "classic white point guard." I think Walt Frazier is probably No. 4, and then J-Kidd is No. 5. I have a huge soft spot in my heart for Terry Porter, although he should never sniff this list. Gary Payton is another one. The early 1990s Western Conference was insane for PGs, no? Jesus H. Christ.
Did the Mavericks winning it all do anything for Kidd's "legacy?" Probably not. He has the ring, which is good, but I wouldn't elevate him in front of any of those four guys. I know -- Stockton lacks a ring. But just watch John Stockton play ball. It's graceful.
Back to Kidd now for a second. You can make an argument the coolest thing he ever did as a baller was BEFORE he entered the NBA -- he was part of one of those rare No. 8/No. 9 seed teams that drops Duke before they can advance to the Sweet 16. It happens every once in a while, and it's always great to see (sorry for the Duke hate, but you know, success breeds contempt -- didn't we learn that in the NBA Finals too?):
That's not to say Kidd's pro career hasn't been stellar. Look at some of these dimes, won't ya?
Now consider this: Kidd is 38. For good portions of these NBA Finals, he covered Dwyane Wade, who is arguably one of the three best players in the world right now -- and not at all 38. Kidd buried a few daggers and, as he's done in various cities over the years, he ran the team with poise. During the Finals, some reporter asked Mavs' legend Mark Aguirre about Dirk. He said, rightfully so, that if you took Dirk off the Mavericks, they wouldn't be anywhere near the Finals -- but if you took Wade or LeBron off the Heat, they might still be (theory being Wade + Bosh or James + Bosh is enough). Consider this: if you take Kidd off the Mavericks this year, and have J.J. Barea primarily running the point (maybe with a mix of others), are they in the Finals? Is Game 6 an elimination game the OTHER way? (Remember: Barea was horrible early in this series.)
It's hard to be that relevant a part of the discussion when you're significantly closer to 40 than 30, especially in the Association. So as convos swirl about Dirk and Bron (and hopefully about avoiding a lockout), just remember another piece of bar discourse -- Jason Kidd's place in history.
Join the Discussion