Jason Kidd Set To Be Introduced As Brooklyn Nets Head Coach
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Hello, Brooklyn.
The Nets will introduce Jason Kidd as their new head coach on Thursday at a 2 p.m. press conference at Barclays Center. The team announced his hiring Wednesday night.
"Jason Kidd has a long and legendary history with the Nets and with the city of New York," Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement. "He has the fire in the belly we need, and has achieved as a player everything the Brooklyn Nets are striving to achieve. We believe he will lead us there. Welcome home, Jason."
Kidd retired earlier this month after one season with the New York Knicks, his 19th in the NBA. The Nets decided to hire him to replace P.J. Carlesimo despite his lack of coaching experience.
The move reunites Kidd with the franchise he led to consecutive NBA Finals in 2002-03, when they played in New Jersey. He spent 6½ seasons with the Nets, averaging 14.6 points, 9.1 assists and 7.2 rebounds, and is their career leader in numerous statistical categories.
"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," Kidd said. "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."
The 40-year-old Kidd was considered one of the smartest players in the NBA, which he believes will help him make the transition into coaching. He got the job over early favorite Brian Shaw, an assistant with the Indiana Pacers.
"On behalf of the Nets organization, I am very pleased to welcome Jason Kidd as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets," said general manager Billy King. "Jason is a proven winner and leader with an incredible wealth of basketball knowledge and experience. This will be a natural transition for him to move into the role of head coach, as he embodies the tough, smart and team-first mentality that we are trying to establish in Brooklyn."
Kidd got a ton of support from his NBA peers on Twitter, including point guard Deron Williams, who he'll now be coaching in Brooklyn.
http://twitter.com/DeronWilliams/statuses/344986722758705152
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