He had an amazing, 19-year NBA career. A Hall of Fame career.
But it is over — Jason Kidd has announced he has retired from the NBA.
The New York Knicks made the announcement, via their Website manager Jonah Ballow.
“My time in professional basketball has been an incredible journey, but one that must come to an end after 19 years,” Kidd said in a statement. “As I reflect on my time with the four teams I represented in the NBA, I look back fondly at every season and thank each every one of my teammates and coaches that joined me on the court.”
Kidd was the No. 2 pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and went on to be co-Rookie of the Year with Grant Hill, who just announced his retirement last Thursday. Kidd went on to play in Phoenix, with the New Jersey Nets, back to Dallas and then spent this last season with the Knicks.
“Jason’s value to the Knicks and the National Basketball Association cannot be quantified by statistics alone,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said via the twitter feed. “Jason provided an incredible voice inside our locker room and I considered it an honor to say I coached him. (His) Veteran leadership on and off the court was a huge factor for our team that recorded 54 [wins] and an Atlantic Division crown.”
Kidd won a championship as part of the 2011 Dallas Mavericks (when he actually covered LeBron James for stretches and did well), was a 10-time All-Star, five time All-NBA First Team, nine-time NBA All-Defensive team player (five times first team), and he was a two-time Gold Medalist, in 2000 in Sydney and 2008 in Beijing.
Those are Springfield first ballot numbers.
He was an old-school, pass-first point guard (he led the league in assists five times) but could score when needed, averaging 18.3 points a game with the Nets back in 2003. He averaged 12.6 points, 8.7 assists. 6.3 rebounds and 1.93 steals a game over the course of his career.
Even this past season, well past his prime, the Knicks offense just flowed better when he was on the court thanks to his smart decisions.
It might have been time, but he will be missed. He is one of the games great point guards ever.