This 2011 postseason, we have the pleasure of entertaining ourselves as fans and members of the media with numerous mainstream story lines gripping the nation: Dirk Nowitzki’s second chance at a title after the shock of 2006, The Heat’s “big three” and an early culmination of their desires, and LeBron James’ supposed villainy leaving Cleveland and creating the Miami triumvirate. These are all stories of “almost there.” They are tales of teams and individuals just moments away from ultimate basketball glory.
But perhaps the most potent story of “almost there” is the one nobody is talking about: the story of Jason Kidd. Amongst all pinnacle statistics Jason Kidd has to his credit there is one that stands out above all: Kidd has played in the most playoff games of any active NBA player — without winning an NBA title.
Few would argue that Jason Kidd is one of the best point-guards to ever play the game of basketball. He is third all-time in regular season triple-doubles, second all-time in postseason triple-doubles behind Magic Johnson; he has 2 Olympic gold medals; he’s the only player in NBA history with 15,000 points, 7,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists; and he is second all-time in assists behind John Stockton.
Kidd’s historical place amongst elite NBA point guards should be cemented — but is it? As we all know, great professional athletes without a championship to their credit are often represented as tainted individuals; they are discussed as ultimate stories of “almost there,” just a step away from greatness, without reaching it.
The impact of this moment in Jason Kidd’s career, as his team finds themselves tied 2-2 in the NBA Finals, is maybe bigger than any moment previous for the Dallas point guard. At 38 years old, this may very well be Kidd’s last chance to win – his last chance to arrive from “almost there,” finally, after 14 straight years taking his teams to the playoffs.
The fact that Kidd is without an NBA title is nearly baffling given his storied history in American basketball. In high school, Kidd was named Naismith player of the year. This hype led to strong college interest, as he was pursued by great programs like Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona, and Ohio State. But Kidd chose to stay close to home and joined UC Berkeley, who was coming off a 10-18 season and hadn’t won a Pac-10 championship since 1960.
One can only assume that Kidd not only wanted to stay close to home, but was very ambitious. He wanted to turn the program around, which he did in a very successful two years at Berkeley. In his first year there Kidd was named freshman of the year nationally, nabbing 110 steals – the most ever by a freshman.
In his sophomore season at Berkeley, Kidd broke his own school record in assists and was named a first team All-American. Following his second year Kidd entered the NBA Draft, with all the promise in the world. This promise translated into the second overall selection by the Dallas Mavericks in 1994, which would pay off right away as Kidd led the NBA in triple-doubles and won Rookie of the Year honors in his first season.
Now fast-forward to 2001. After stints in Dallas and Phoenix, Kidd is traded to the New Jersey Nets and they suddenly take off. In 2001-2002 Kidd led the Nets in an improbable run to the NBA Finals, but the Nets were swept by the powerful Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. For the first time, Kidd almost got his ring.
Just one year later, in 2002-2003, Jason Kidd led the Nets to their second-straight NBA Finals appearance. Once again, Kidd found himself on the brink of greatness. But once again, “almost” was as far as he would get. The Nets were defeated by Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs and Kidd once again fell short despite his leadership and strong play.
Today, Jason Kidd finds himself in the NBA Finals for the third time, and possibly his last. After leading his teams to 14 straight playoff appearances, all those triple-doubles, and all those assists, he has one more chance to get that coveted NBA title.
Kidd certainly isn’t the player he used to be in his prime, and maybe that’s why we’ve largely ignored his story in these Finals. He’s a quiet player, but behind that tacit exterior is a man silently driving the Dallas machine from the point.
Dirk Nowitzki’s MVP-like 2011 playoff run has overshadowed his point guard’s consistent play. Kidd is averaging 9.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in these playoffs, to go along with 37 steals. The numbers might not seem huge, but considering all the intangibles he provides in leadership and consistency, as well as strong rebounding numbers for a point guard, you can’t leave Kidd out of the Dallas conversation.
The Mavericks are a completely different team when Kidd is on the floor. They move the ball around effectively, they score more, and they play better defense.
Sure, Dirk Nowitzki might not get another shot at a ring either, and sure, the story of the “big three” with a shot at a title in their first year together is enticing.
But let’s not forget about the story of Jason Kidd, that scrappy point guard who is, yet again, “almost there,” maybe for the last time.
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