Top 93 Quotes & Sayings by Jason Kidd

Explore popular quotes and sayings by an American athlete Jason Kidd.
Last updated on December 22, 2024.
Jason Kidd

Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the greatest point guards and passers of all time, Kidd was a 10-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA First Team member, and a nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. He won an NBA championship in 2011 as a member of the Dallas Mavericks and was a two-time gold medal winner in the Olympics with the U.S. national team in 2000 and 2008. He was inducted as a player into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In October 2021, Kidd was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

As a professional athlete, the small print says there could be a trade at some point in your career. Sometimes expected, sometimes not. You have to be able to handle that.
Hard work does pay, and you just have to continue to work, and you got two guys, when you're talking about Gary and myself, we have a God-given talent, but we worked at it and we're happy to be where we are today.
When I was a little kid I used to play with guys twice my age, so, I was the last one picked, so if I picked I knew that I had to get the ball to the scorer if I wanted to stay on the court, so that was pretty much my job.
I love 'Gladiator' and '300.' — © Jason Kidd
I love 'Gladiator' and '300.'
I'm a football guy at heart; maybe I should have played football for a living instead, because I play a lot of football videogames; I'm really into them.
There's always room for improvement. We have a nucleus that's pretty good. You want players that will help.
I play on all the consoles, but Xbox, mostly. I'm versatile, though, so whatever's going on, I'll take care of it.
Yeah, I play a lot of their games. Going way back to Bulls vs. Lakers to the later Live stuff, I go at it quite a bit. More than anything tough, I play Madden.
I think cryotherapy is excellent for anybody and not just athletes.
I've played in small markets; I've played in big markets. For me, basketball is inside the arena. It doesn't recognize what market you're in. It's about wins and losses, and that's the way I approach it.
For us as coaches, we're in a different locker room. So we're coming in pregame, halftime. They spend a lot more time in that locker room than coaches.
A lot of late nights in the gym, a lot of early mornings, especially when your friends are going out, you're going to the gym, those are the sacrifices that you have to make if you want to be an NBA basketball player.
As a player, I can tell them they don't want to rush to become a coach, because there is a lot that goes on. This is all something new to me. You can talk to a lot of the coaches... and they can tell you. Until you go through it, then you can understand what it's all about.
More eyes on the court is better than just two eyes. There's always a time for one voice. But when the guys are working, I believe in those guys working and making the players better. Hands-on.
When you are on the floor, there's no better feeling than when your teammates are into the game on the bench and are cheering for you and vice versa. When you come out of the game, you are cheering for those guys that are on the floor.
I've got to play free agency out, and I've got to look at all of my options. — © Jason Kidd
I've got to play free agency out, and I've got to look at all of my options.
That's why the fears of playing or coaching, you want to do everything possible to make it. A lot of teams make it look real easy, but it is hard.
I talked to Grant Hill, and I told him, 'I played against you a lot, and now, hopefully, I'm getting to coach a player like you. Jabari has the opportunity to be a special player in this league. But it's not handed to you. He's going to work, and our jobs are to make him better each day.'
I was just one piece of the puzzle, a very small piece at that. I really enjoyed my time with the Knicks, and we had a great run.
Oh, I think, watching Magic, him being one of my... I'm one of his biggest fans, and just trying to emulate what he did, going out on the playground, and also playing with older guys.
I thought to myself, 'All right, let's take a look at your resume. You have no financial background. You have basketball, that's what you have, for your whole life.'
With the intention of signing Lin back, I saw that I can help.
My biggest fear had always been getting hurt, and not being able to leave the game as a player on my own terms.
Kobe is Kobe. He is one of the best to ever play this game. Given the opportunity, he can embarrass you.
Championship teams are built on being prepared, playing unselfishly and being held accountable, and that's how I expect to coach this basketball team. I am truly excited about this next phase of my basketball career.
I just tried to play the game the right way. As you get older, Father Time is undefeated.
After I left the Nets, I found out what it takes to not just make the Finals, but to win a championship. I think I have a sense now of how you build a championship structure and how you maintain that structure.
The business always gets in the way of basketball.
If there wasn't any business and it was just strictly basketball, then there would be no issue, it would probably be done by now. But the team has to protect.
It's funny because everybody has injuries, and different teams handle them differently.
I'm a high-risk taker on the court in the sense of trying to squeeze things in there.
I think we're going in the right direction.
As a player, I could have the ball in my hands; I could kind of dictate what happens. I'm still learning, a young coach with young players. Sometimes I'm going to see things. They're not going to see what I see. So it's being able to translate that and help them see what I'm seeing.
As a player, I always felt confident that if I was caIm, my teammates knew, 'He's going to do something to help us win.' As a coach, my hands are really tied. I got to believe in my players. If they see I'm calm, they'll believe I trust them, which I do.
I don't care what sport you're talking about. What you see with great franchises is structure - a structure that doesn't just take you from year to year, but day to day.
I just coach and get my guys ready.
I don't know if we have any action going on, so there shouldn't be anybody worried about the rumors if it entails the Milwaukee Bucks. This is our team.
I think sometimes when trades are made the beginning of the season on paper, they look great. It just takes time. Sometimes the process by the media or outside influences or sources want it to be now. Sometimes it doesn't work that way.
When you look at myself, I'm a coach, and that's what it's all about. When you're a player, you get criticized, and when you're a coach, you get criticized even more because it's about wins and losses.
This is a tremendous opportunity to be named head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, and it's a role I have been studying for over the course of my playing days. — © Jason Kidd
This is a tremendous opportunity to be named head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, and it's a role I have been studying for over the course of my playing days.
I think the big thing with O.J. - I've known him since he was in high school - and he's a great kid, loves the game of basketball.
The Knicks, they're a very talented team.
I've always respected Coach Frank. I kind of publicly recruited him because I really need him and want him. I'm kind of the college recruiter now because he brings a lot to the table. He's had success here and understands the good and the bad, so I'm recruiting him to join my staff.
The best players have the mental advantage throughout the league.
I don't have tapes of meditation, but I put on the meditation station. I did as a player, too. I used to always play the game before the game happened. As a coach, I do the same thing.
There are many really good teams in our conference this season. Miami, Indiana and Detroit will be our fiercest opponents this year. But we just have to focus on our game and be patient with the realistic hope that we'll be on top after all is said and done.
Apple has the radio stations, so I go R&B in the morning, and then I'll go with some hip-hop before the game. But after the game, it's more meditation music. It's not artists; it's more whatever is being played.
Someone gave me great advice. That when you're looked on as a pioneer, or you start a trend, you're not always going to benefit from it.
I've played the game for a long time.
Kobe enjoys that situation. Stepping up and making the big basket or being involved in a key play.
I wasn't a guy who looked to score first. It was to get your teammates involved, to understand time and clock management and having fun with your teammates. — © Jason Kidd
I wasn't a guy who looked to score first. It was to get your teammates involved, to understand time and clock management and having fun with your teammates.
It was part of my recruiting to go to Cal because they knew I loved to play baseball. I don't know if I was good enough to make the team, but I worked out with the guys, and it was a lot of fun.
More than anything tough, I play 'Madden'. I'm a football guy at heart; maybe I should have played football for a living instead, because I play a lot of football videogames. I'm really into them.
I came in the league as not a shooter, not a scorer. My game was to play defense and make my teammates better. The most important stat to me was that left column - winning. Nothing else matters.
The ball touched the paint a lot of times. When we talk about touching the paint, the ball touches the key for making a layup or making a play for a teammate. We've got to use our length and our speed. Defensively, getting deflections. Give up one shot and rebound.
We're going to turn this team around 360 degrees.
The 76ers currently play very good basketball, and we don't. However, we are still only one win behind them. If we continue to improve, we should be on the top of our division at the end of the regular season.
A lot of things get misinterpreted with me, I guess.
I think that realistically we can shoot for the title this year. If we stay healthy and be persistent throughout the season, I think we have good chance to go all the way.
I definitely will reach out to Cuban in the near future for advice going forward. Now that I'll be on the business side of things - and he's had a lot of success with that - that would be a guy to go to.
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