Dallas Mavericks (1994–1996) 1994–1995: Co-Rookie of the Year and instant impact Kidd was selected as the second overall pick by the
Dallas Mavericks, behind
Glenn Robinson of
Purdue, and just ahead of
Duke's
Grant Hill. In his first year, he averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, and led the NBA in triple doubles, sharing 1995
NBA Rookie of the Year honors with Hill of the
Detroit Pistons. The year before the Mavericks drafted Kidd, they finished the season with the worst record in the NBA at 13–69. After Kidd's first season with the Mavericks, their record improved to 36–46 which, at 23 games, was the largest improvement in the NBA.
1995–1996: First All-Star appearance and "Three J's" In the following season Kidd was voted a starter in the 1996 All-Star Game. In his first two years with the Mavericks, the move most people associated him with was "the baseball pass". Kidd was a member of the "Three J's" in Dallas along with
Jim Jackson and
Jamal Mashburn. After promising beginnings, things turned sour among the trio. Mashburn's injury combined with deteriorated personal relations between the immature leaders of the team resulted in the Mavericks taking a step backwards instead of further development. Kidd's continued problems with the coaches affected the Mavericks' decision to trade their young star just in his third season in the league.
Phoenix Suns (1996–2001) 1996–1998: First playoff appearances Kidd was traded to the
Phoenix Suns with
Tony Dumas and
Loren Meyer for
Michael Finley,
A.C. Green, and
Sam Cassell during the
1996–97 season. In his first full season with the Suns in
1997–98, the team's win total improved by 16 games. The Suns, who finished the season with a 56–26 record, had been recognized for their fast-paced style of play with Kidd frequently leading a
small lineup of four guards (Kidd,
Kevin Johnson,
Rex Chapman and
Steve Nash) being on the floor at the same time together with
Antonio McDyess playing at center. In the playoffs, Phoenix was eliminated in the first round by the
San Antonio Spurs led by their
Twin Towers duo,
David Robinson and
Tim Duncan.
1998–2001: First All-NBA selections and leading the NBA in assists In the
1998–99 season, Kidd averaged 10.8 assists per game to dethrone Washington's
Rod Strickland as the league's assists leader. He also led the NBA with seven triple-doubles (the rest of the league had just 11) and was second in the NBA with 41.2 minutes per game (behind Allen Iverson's 41.5 mpg). Kidd averaged career highs in points (16.9 ppg), field goal percentage (.444), rebounds (6.8 rpg, best among NBA guards) and steals (2.28 spg, fourth in the NBA) and was the only player to be ranked among the top 50 in the NBA in 10 different statistical categories. The Suns won all seven of the games in which he had triple-doubles. The Suns acquired
Penny Hardaway from the
Orlando Magic before the start of the
1999–00 season in hope of creating the best backcourt duo in the league. The combination of Kidd and Hardaway in the starting lineup was often labeled as the
BackCourt 2000. Despite a decent 53–29 record, the Suns' season was spoiled by injuries to both of their superstars. Kidd, who broke his ankle late in the regular season, returned during the playoffs to help his team to beat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs and advance to the second round for the first time in his career. The Spurs were missing
Tim Duncan because he injured his
meniscus shortly before the end of the regular season and was unable to play in the playoffs. The
2000–01 season was affected by Kidd's personal problems as he was charged with domestic abuse of his wife. The Suns, who struggled in the middle part of the season, finished strongly with a 15–6 record to secure another 50-win season. Kidd took on more of the offensive load after his teammates encouraged him to be more selfish. He recorded 30-plus points six times on the year and five times in the last 19 games. In one particular hot stretch, he scored 36, 32, and 31 in three consecutive games in mid-March, prior to which he had never recorded consecutive 30-point games. During his stay in Phoenix, Kidd made the
All-Star Game in 1998, 2000, and 2001 (in 1999 it was not held because of a lockout) and led the NBA in assists for three consecutive years (1999–2001). It was also with the Suns that Kidd rose to the status of the league's best playmaker as he was voted to the
All-NBA First Team and
NBA All-Defensive Team three years in a row (1999–2001).
New Jersey Nets (2001–2008) 2001–2003: MVP runner-up and NBA Finals appearances On June 28, 2001, after five seasons in Phoenix in which the team made the playoffs each year, Kidd was traded, along with
Chris Dudley, to the
New Jersey Nets for
Stephon Marbury,
Johnny Newman, and
Soumaila Samake. Kidd joined the franchise as the team was constructed around a sophomore
Kenyon Martin, veterans
Kerry Kittles and
Keith Van Horn, along with rookies
Richard Jefferson,
Jason Collins, and
Brandon Armstrong coming from the draft-day trade for the seventh pick
Eddie Griffin. The
2001–02 season saw Kidd lead the Nets to a 52–30 finish, a 26-game improvement from the season before and the first 50-win season in the franchise's NBA history. Under Kidd's guidance, the young Nets team prospered through the playoffs, won the Eastern Conference title and advanced to the franchise's first-ever appearance in the
NBA Finals. Along the way, they had some memorable moments including a double overtime victory against the
Indiana Pacers in the decisive game 5. Indiana's
Reggie Miller forced the first overtime with a 35-foot three-pointer at the buzzer and the second one with a two-handed dunk, but the Nets eventually survived and beat Indiana 120–109. Kidd scored 20 of his then playoffs-best 31 points in the fourth quarter and overtimes. After defeating the
Charlotte Hornets 4–1 in the second round, the Nets then faced the Boston Celtics in the conference finals. In that series Kidd and the Nets experienced the biggest fourth quarter collapse in the playoffs' history, when the Celtics came back from a 21-point deficit to win the pivotal game 3, taking a 2–1 series lead. However, the Nets then won three consecutive games, while Kidd averaged a triple double for the entire series. In the NBA Finals, the Nets were swept in four games by
Shaquille O'Neal and
Kobe Bryant's
Los Angeles Lakers. New Jersey enjoyed another stellar season under Kidd's leadership in the
2002–03 season, during which the team finished 49–33 and reached the NBA Finals once again. Kidd had his highest scoring season with 18.7 points per game and led the league in assists with 8.9 per game. This time Kidd was selected to the
All-NBA Second Team. In the playoffs after splitting the first four games with the
Milwaukee Bucks, the Nets recorded a 10-game winning streak, while sweeping the Celtics and the
Detroit Pistons on the way to their second consecutive NBA Finals. In the
Finals, New Jersey lost to
Tim Duncan's
San Antonio Spurs in six games, even though the series was tied after the first four games.
2003–2006: Coming up short, injury and surgery As an unrestricted free agent in the 2003 offseason, there was speculation that Kidd would join the defending champion Spurs and replace
Tony Parker as their starting point guard. Parker, then young and unproven, was perceived to have "limitations" in his game that Kidd did not. However, Kidd decided to stay with the Nets on a 6-year, $99 million deal. In the
2003–04 season, Kidd averaged 15.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists (leading the league in assists for the second year in a row). The Nets led by Kidd finished the season 47–35 as their leader was voted to the
All-NBA First Team for the fifth time in his career. In the playoffs however, they lost in the conference semifinals in a seven-game series against the
Detroit Pistons, the eventual champions. Kidd went scoreless in the decisive game 7 while playing with a serious knee injury. On July 1, 2004, Kidd underwent
microfracture surgery to repair a damaged knee. He made a full recovery and returned to the court for the
2004–05 season in December, during which the Nets acquired star swingman
Vince Carter from the
Toronto Raptors. With the Nets hanging on the prospect of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2001 and with Jefferson injured, Carter and Kidd combined to fuel the team to a late regular season surge that enabled them to inch past the
Cleveland Cavaliers for the eighth and final playoff berth in the East. The Nets were eliminated in four games by the top-seeded
Miami Heat in the first round. In the
2005–06 season, Kidd averaged 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.4 assists. He and Carter led the Nets to a third-place finish in the East with a 49–33 record to clinch their fourth Atlantic Division title in the last five seasons. In April the Nets recorded NBA season-best winning streak, which was ended by the Cleveland Cavaliers at 14 wins in a row. Kidd was named to the
NBA All-Defensive First Team for the fourth time in his career. In the playoffs the Nets beat the Indiana Pacers in six games in the first round, but later in the conference semifinals they were defeated again by the Miami Heat, the eventual champions.
2006–2008: Triple-double postseason and final year in New Jersey Kidd was named a reserve for the NBA
All-Star game along with teammate
Vince Carter during the
2006–07 season. However, Kidd missed the game because of a strained back and was replaced on the roster by
Joe Johnson. On April 7, 2007, Kidd and Carter became the first teammates to record triple-doubles in the same game since
Michael Jordan and
Scottie Pippen did it in 1989 for the
Chicago Bulls. In the first round of the
2006–07 postseason Kidd averaged 14.0 points, 13.2 assists, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals, as the Nets defeated the
Toronto Raptors in six games. He joined
Wilt Chamberlain and
Magic Johnson as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double in multiple playoff series. For the postseason, Kidd averaged 14.6 points, 10.9 assists and 10.9 rebounds in twelve playoff games. He became the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire postseason. Despite Kidd's efforts the Nets were eliminated in six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the
Cleveland Cavaliers. In the
2007–08 season, Kidd became the third player to get a triple-double in three straight games since 1989. He did so after he logged his 97th career triple-double in a 115–99 loss to the
Charlotte Bobcats. Kidd was voted by the fans to start in the 2008 All-Star game in New Orleans as a guard along with
Dwyane Wade. During that season Kidd had been mentioned in trade rumors, notably to the
Los Angeles Lakers, but the deal fell through when the Lakers refused to give up their young center
Andrew Bynum. On January 28, 2008, Kidd revealed that his agent had been talking to the Nets' front office about a trade. On February 19, 2008, Kidd was traded to the
Dallas Mavericks, the team that originally drafted him.
Return to Dallas (2008–2012) 2008–2010: Final All-Star appearances and playoff upsets On February 13, 2008, the
Dallas Mavericks and
New Jersey Nets reached an agreement on a trade to send Kidd and
Malik Allen to Dallas for
Devin Harris,
Devean George,
Jerry Stackhouse,
DeSagana Diop,
Maurice Ager, two first-round drafts picks (in
2008 and
2010), and $3 million, but the trade fell through when George invoked his
(Early) Bird rights, as was stipulated in his contract at the time. The trade was retooled, with
Trenton Hassell replacing George, and
Keith Van Horn, who had agreed to come out of retirement, replacing Stackhouse, because NBA officials informed the Mavericks that if Stackhouse were to be included in the deal, he could not re-sign with the team if the Nets chose to buy out his contract.
Antoine Wright was also added to the retooled trade proposal (the two teams originally agreed on a separate deal that would have sent Wright to the Mavericks for a 2008 second-round pick, but were ultimately able include him in the Kidd deal). On February 19, 2008, Kidd was traded to the Mavericks along with Allen and Wright for Van Horn (via a sign and trade deal), Harris, Diop, Hassell, Ager, $3 million, and first round picks in 2008 and 2010. The Mavericks hoped that Kidd would provide leadership to the team that for years had been labelled as weak mentally and help Dallas and its franchise-player
Dirk Nowitzki win their first ever NBA championship. In the first year of Kidd's new contract in the
2009–10 season the Mavericks finished second in the Western Conference with a 55–27 record during the regular season. However, the season ended with another disappointment as the Mavericks lost in six games to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the
2010 NBA playoffs. It was rumored that Kidd had gone through a flu just before the series began which might have affected his physical condition. He did not speak to reporters after Games 5 and 6 and skipped the team's final meeting.
2010–2012: NBA championship and Sportsmanship Award Kidd
won the NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks on June 12, 2011, defeating NBA All-Stars
LeBron James,
Dwyane Wade, and
Chris Bosh and the
Miami Heat. After appearing and losing in two different NBA Finals, it was the first and only championship in his career. Despite a mid-season injury to Dirk Nowitzki, and a season-ending surgery to their starting small forward
Caron Butler, the
2010–11 season turned out to be the best for the Mavs in Kidd's era as they finished the regular season with a 57–25 record. On February 4, Kidd hit a three-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Mavs a win in Boston over the Celtics, extending their winning streak to seven games. Kidd sparked the Mavericks' impressive run with a total of 42 points in the first two playoff games against the
Portland Trail Blazers. Dallas won the series 4–2. The Mavs then swept the two-time defending champion
Los Angeles Lakers, with Kidd successfully guarding
Kobe Bryant in decisive moments of close games 1 and 3. In the Western Conference finals against the
Oklahoma City Thunder, Kidd was partly responsible for guarding young and athletic superstars
Kevin Durant and
Russell Westbrook. Kidd hit a tie-breaking three-pointer late in overtime in a game 4 victory at
Oklahoma City to give his team a 3–1 lead. Dallas defeated Oklahoma in five games. In the NBA Finals, the Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, despite trailing the Heat two games to one at one point. At various points, Kidd was called upon to defend superstars Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Kidd averaged 9.3 points, 7.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game during the Mavericks' 21-game championship run. At 38 years of age, he became the oldest starting point guard ever to lead his team to the championship. Shortened by a lockout, the
2011–12 season turned out to be the last for Kidd in the Mavericks uniform. With 39-year-old Kidd averaging career lows in minutes, points and assists for the regular season, the defending champions were swept by the
Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the
2012 NBA playoffs. On May 3, 2012, Kidd won his first
NBA Sportsmanship Award.
New York Knicks (2012–2013) On July 12, 2012, Kidd signed with the
New York Knicks. After making a verbal commitment to re-sign with the Mavericks, Kidd changed his mind and decided to sign a 3-year deal with the Knicks. Kidd was expected to act as a mentor to
Jeremy Lin but after Lin left to the
Houston Rockets, it was assumed that Kidd would serve as a backup to
Raymond Felton at the point guard position. During the preseason however, the Knicks head coach
Mike Woodson decided to start the season with both playmakers in the starting lineup and Kidd adjusting more to the shooting guard role. With the new backcourt duo in the lineup, the Knicks opened the
2012–13 season with an 18–5 record while Kidd averaged 9.0 points per game on 44 percent three-point shooting in the first two months of the season. Nearly 40 years old, Kidd was asked to play almost 33 minutes per game in December. New York finished the season with 54 wins, an 18-game jump from the previous season. It was their first 50-win season since
1999–2000. The Knicks advanced to the second round of the playoffs, but lost to the
Indiana Pacers in six games. Kidd struggled during the playoffs, when he was held without a field goal in his last 10 playoff games. Kidd retired on June 3, 2013, after one season with the Knicks and 19 seasons in the NBA. His announcement came two days after 1995 co-Rookie of the Year
Grant Hill retired. ==Coaching career==