Kidd delivers ultimatum

[Freddie]

Per insider:

The New York Post is reporting that Jason Kidd has given the New Jersey Nets the mother of all ultimatums.


Either head coach Byron Scott goes or he goes.



Kidd

"Jason expressed concerns, ranging from team personnel, to life after basketball to the current coaching situation," said an unnamed source to the Post. "This has been brewing for some time."

For his part, Scott said he was shocked and refused to acknowledge any rift between him and his star player. He immediately sent his agent, Tim McInerney, to talk to Kidd's agent, Jeff Schwartz.

"I talked to Jeff Schwartz frequently and we both believe that whatever is decided should be decided in a professional manner and not in a public debate," McInerney said. "I doubt the validity of this meeting without an official comment from Rod Thorn. These releases harm the franchise, harm the players, harm players' families. Everything should only be released through Rod Thorn."

Rumors of the rift between Scott and Kidd surfaced shortly after the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Nets in the NBA Finals, with Kidd reportedly saying that his son T.J. could have done a better job of coaching.

This week, Kidd was in San Antonio discussing a free-agent deal that would put him on the Spurs roster and leave the Nets without their franchise player.

 

[hcsilla]

If Thorn will fire Scott then Kidd will demand that T.J should be NJN's next head coach.......

 

[Joe Mama]

I may be in the minority here but I have no problem with this. I think Scott is a severely overrated coach. I don't think he is a much better personality than Scott Skiles. In fact I've wondered at times if they aren't actually the same person.

Is it actually legal to promise all of these extras when you are signing a free agent?

Here is a link to the article in the New York Post.

http://www.nypost.com/sports/nets/37617.htm

Joe Mama

 

[hcsilla]

I agree, Scott is overrated.
It's not his fault that NJN won twice the EC.

 

[elindholm]

I don't think Scott is a good coach, but...

Come on now. Kidd doesn't get along with anybody. He didn't get along with his coach in Dallas, at least one of his coaches in Phoenix, or his coach in New Jersey. He's not a great hit with teammates either. He demanded that Van Horn be shipped out, and Van Horn responded with a great season in Philadelphia (setting a new career high in FG%). And so on. And every time, somehow it's the other person's fault that Kidd doesn't like him. The media still haven't recognized the pattern.

Popovic has the reputation for being a hardass. I read some article where a Spurs player said, "Make no mistake, Pop coaches everyone, even Tim." Is Kidd really going to be happier with Popovic, where the expectations are even higher than they were with Scott?

I hope he goes to San Antonio and struggles miserably. It's time for the Kidd myth to come to an end.

 

[Joe Mama]

I don't know what happened in Dallas with Jason Kidd's coach there, but I can't blame him for the problems with Scott Skiles and Byron Scott. I agree that the media needs to realize that Jason Kidd is not necessarily the great guy they have made him out to be. I just on how they problem with this move. No, actually I do have a problem. I think if he was going to do this it should have been done earlier.

Joe Mama

 

[fordronken]

If only he'd realized this earlier the Nets could have kept the guy that was supposedly behind all the success and who Kidd reportedly liked a lot: Eddie Jordan.

 

[Freddie]

With Jordan gone it gives Kidd another reason to bolt. This could be a reason why he was so tight-lipped about the coaching situation.

 

[boisesuns]

i don't want kidd to go to san antonio. it'sa team of good guys and team first guys. they say kidd makes his team better, but only if he gets his way. it's like he's a two year old, or he has one...

 

[SweetD]

IMO it is his right to say what he wants he has the leverage right now to make the team do what he wants. Don't forget Marbury forced the Wolves to trade him also. We can't say Kidd is worse than Marbury was.

 

[WizardOfAz]

Originally posted by hcsilla
I agree, Scott is overrated.
It's not his fault that NJN won twice the EC.

See how far that got Rick Carlisle.

 

[jbeecham]

I don't recall Marbury ever saying the team needs to either fire the coach or sign-and-trade him or he'll walk as a free agent and leave them with nothing. That's basically what Kidd has just told the team that he's been to the finals with the last 2 seasons. Marbury was also about 20 yrs old and immature when he forced a trade out of Minnesota, Kidd is over 30 now and still immature. If the Nets were smart, they would sign-and-trade him to the Spurs for Tony Parker & a re-signed Stephen Jackson to replace Kittles as their starting SG.

 

[SirStefan32]

Originally posted by hcsilla
T.J should be NJN's next head coach.......

Pun intended? HEAD coach?

 

[IndyDevil]

Kidd got his coach fired in college (Cal), then bolted for the pros one season later; he whined about his coach in Dallas, he was a malcontent & wife-beater in Phoenix, and not only does he complain about personnel decisions in NJ, now he wants his coach fired there as well?!?!

Jason Kidd is the biggest a-hole in professional sports. Period.

I would rather see the Lakers win another title than Jason Kidd, and as a lifelong Suns fan, it HURTS to even think of the Lakers winning yet another title, let alone mention it!!

 

[Joe Mama]

I don't know what happened in Dallas with Jason Kidd's coach there, but I can't blame him for the problems with Scott Skiles and Byron Scott. I agree that the media needs to realize that Jason Kidd is not necessarily the great guy they have made him out to be. I just on how they problem with this move. No, actually I do have a problem. I think if he was going to do this it should have been done earlier.

Joe Mama

 

[Chaplin]

And the media loves Byron Scott from his days on the Showtime Lakers.

Isn't this a case of an unstoppable cannonball hitting an immovable post?

 

[Freddie]

Wasn't Scott having problems with other players or was it just Kidd?

 

[fordronken]

I know Kenyon Martin didn't seem to happy during the finals, and Mutumbo didn't before them.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by Freddie
Wasn't Scott having problems with other players or was it just Kidd?

It seems like the only guy who hasn't had a problem with Byron Scott is Aaron Williams. Scott's game time coaching left a whole lot to be desired.

I don't think Jason Kidd is 29 yet. Still, I understand the point that he is much older than Marbury was when he forced his way out of Minnesota and basically forced his way out of New Jersey as well. I also think it's unfair to say that Jason Kidd was a malcontent here. As far as I know he didn't cause any problems and was quite the model citizen except for his domestic problems. He was coached by one of the biggest jerks in the NBA, Scott Skiles, who reportedly had a terrible atmosphere going in their locker room. Looking back I don't blame him for many of his outbursts after the trade.

I'm not trying to defend Jason Kidd for all of his actions. In this case I do think he may be doing the right thing. He has the leverage. He is going to sign a contract that will basically taken through the end of his career. And I guarantee if he is making these requests before he signs most of the other players feel the same way.

I'm not sure if anything I just wrote comes together to make any sense or any point. Sorry for the rambling.

At this point the biggest reason I do not want to see Jason Kidd succeed is that I've spent the last few years complaining that he would never run a championship ballclub. If it happens now I have to eat my words. I don't want to do that. I'm extremely stubborn. I'm over the things he said about the organization. I can understand where a lot of it came from.

Joe Mama

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Originally posted by Joe Mama


I don't think Jason Kidd is 29 yet. Joe Mama

Kidd is 30. He was born 3/23/73, (Side note - ESPN has apprently deleted his name from their player database, and the Nets roster )



As far as I know, Kidd disliked his coach in Dallas (one of Phil Jackson's assistants, the name escapes me) because the coach tried implement the triangle offense, which naturally kidd hated.


While I think that Scott is not a very good coach, actually I think he is on par with FJ, Kidd's demands are ridiculous. A franchise cannot let 1 player dictate the way they operate by ultimatums.

BTW, Marbury never forced a trade from Minny. He told them he didn't see how they could afford to pay him and put a decent team in place after they gave Garnett his contract. He then told them that he thought it would be in their best interest to trade him because he was going to look elsewhere. Marbury let the team get the most they could for him so not to hurt the franchise, while Kidd is putting his team in a choke hold threatning to leave for nothing. If Kidd had given this option last summer, and signed an extension had scott been fired it would be similar. It would at least given the Nets an option to trade him.

 

[WizardOfAz]

Mrs. Kidd says that he made no such demand to the Nets:

http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2003/0710/1579087.html

 

[SweetD]

Originally posted by WizardOfAz
Mrs. Kidd says that he made no such demand to the Nets:

http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2003/0710/1579087.html

She is just trying to get more media play.

 

[jbeecham]

Was she present at the meetings with Jason Kidd, his agent & Rod Thorn? I tend to think no, but I could be wrong. Besides, why does she have anything to say about the matter? If Jason didn't make the demands then he should come out and deny it, not his b*tch......errr I mean wife.

 

[Freddie]

As far as I know, Kidd disliked his coach in Dallas (one of Phil Jackson's assistants, the name escapes me) because the coach tried implement the triangle offense, which naturally kidd hated.

Jim Cleamons.

 

[elindholm]

I've spent the last few years complaining that he would never run a championship ballclub. If it happens now I have to eat my words.

No you won't. Even if Kidd wins in San Antonio, he won't be running the Spurs, any more than Payton or Malone will be running the Lakers. It's easy (okay, easier ) to win a title riding the coattails of the league's best players.