Knicks · Kidd Retires! (page 1)

New York Knickerbockers Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations and General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that 10-time NBA All-Star guard Jason Kidd has retired from playing professional basketball.

“Jason’s value to the Knicks and the National Basketball Association cannot be quantified by statistics alone,” Grunwald said. “Everyone here in New York saw firsthand what a tremendous competitor he is and why Jason is considered to be one of the best point guards, and leaders, the game has ever seen.”

“My time in professional basketball has been an incredible journey, but one that must come to an end after 19 years,” Kidd said. “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.”

“Veteran leadership on and off the court was a huge factor for our team that recorded 54 victories and an Atlantic Division crown,” Head Coach Mike Woodson said. “Jason provided an incredible voice inside our lockerroom and I considered it an honor to say I coached him.”

Kidd, 6-4, 220-pounds, holds averages of 12.6 points, 8.7 assists. 6.3 rebounds and 1.93 steals with Dallas, Phoenix, New Jersey and New York. These Springfield-caliber career numbers have solidified his place among the greatest of the great in NBA history. On the League’s all-time leaders lists he ranks: second in season-appearances (19), sixth in games played (1,391), third in minutes (50,111), second in assists (12,091), second in steals (2,684), third in three-point field goals (1,988), 50th overall in rebounds and first overall amongst guards (8,725), 71st in points scored (17,529) and third in triple-doubles (107).

He appeared in 158 postseason games, averaging 12.9 points, 7.8 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 1.91 steals and led the Dallas Mavericks, along with current Knicks All-Star center Tyson Chandler, to the 2011 NBA Championship. He also is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, leading Team USA in 2000 at Sydney and in 2008 in Beijing. As a member of the New Jersey Nets, Kidd appeared in back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.

Kidd is a 10-time NBA All-Star (1996, 1998, 2000-04, 2007-08, 2010), a five-time All-NBA First-Team selection (1999-02, 2004) and earned All-NBA Second Team honors in 2003. He was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team four times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2006) and Second Team five times (2000, 2003-05, 2007) and was the 1995 Co-Rookie of the Year. On Apr. 30, Kidd became the first-ever back-to-back recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy presented to the 2012-13 NBA Sportsmanship Award winner, an honor voted-on by all current players.

In his first and only season with the Knicks, Kidd provided trademark backcourt leadership and stability both as a starter and off the bench. Recording averages of 6.0 points, 3.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.64 steals in 76 games, the San Francisco, CA native became just the third Knicks player to celebrate his 40th birthday in the orange and blue (joining Kurt Thomas and Herb Williams).

Dam. This sucks.

What a career! He always had a sense of dignity and realized when it was time to leave. Good luck to him in whatever he does after basketball.

Good for the Knicks. Insurance picks up the last 2years of his contract, unless I am mistaken.

well thats 3mill more we'll have to spend this summer right?

DurzoBlint wrote:Good for the Knicks. Insurance picks up the last 2years of his contract, unless I am mistaken.

The question of his contract, cap hit etc have been discussed without a clear understanding of how exactly it all works. Maybe now we find out.

My understanding is if the Knicks want to still pay him, or agree to a buyout, any money paid counts vs the cap. I dont think insurance comes into play here.

Right on que Hahn tweets:

Knicks would have to work out a buyout agreement with Kidd first before we can what impact it has on the payroll

No Surprise, both he and Grant hill.. Both great players, Too bad Grand had all of the injuries, but Kidd is a lock HOF player....

Sorry to see him go but Kidd is a class act for knowing when it was time to leave. Hope he can stay with the Knicks in some capacity, maybe as an asst. coach if he wants to.

Seemed like it could happen once G.Hill retired. Kidd was a great player for sure and did good work for us for a time. Unfortunately he will be remembered here for his last 12 games which were not so good...

nyk4ever wrote:well thats 3mill more we'll have to spend this summer right?

were over the cap so no

Nothing but respect to this guy -- GREAT PLAYER, GREAT CAREER. And thank you for a very good first half of the season and for giving NY a try. But thank God, man. He's done and we need the open roster spot. Hopefully we can get Camby to follow suit. Get the feeling it's gonna be much harder to get Camby to walk away from guaranteed money. Camby, you get the feeling, is perfectly content to sit there and collect a check for not doing anything..

Outstanding career! Him contemplating to play another year was starting to sound like a threat .
This should free up some cap space.

now were 17 million over the cap instead of 20million over the cap. it doesnt change much

i disagree that he knew when to leave,

he should've left before this season, but he had so much class that he wanted to eek out another payday and drive drunk around long island,

yea, great career, but not sad to see him go.

my 2 cents.

Kudos to Kidd, first ballot HOF. Nothing but class on the court.

Knicks wise, we're capped out, but now we're definitely seeking a point guard in the draft/free agency, which should help increase team speed.

IronWillGiroud wrote:i disagree that he knew when to leave,

he should've left before this season, but he had so much class that he wanted to eek out another payday and drive drunk around long island,

yea, great career, but not sad to see him go.

my 2 cents.

Kidd was playing well for most of this season and was a big part of this teams success. Drunk or not he has infinitely more class than you have shown on this board, blob.

GustavBahler wrote:

IronWillGiroud wrote:i disagree that he knew when to leave,

he should've left before this season, but he had so much class that he wanted to eek out another payday and drive drunk around long island,

yea, great career, but not sad to see him go.

my 2 cents.

Kidd was playing well for most of this season and was a big part of this teams success. Drunk or not he has infinitely more class than you have shown on this board, blob.

i disagree that he was a big part of the team's success this season,

maybe early on, but he went something like 200 minutes without a basket when it mattered most.

IronWillGiroud wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:

IronWillGiroud wrote:i disagree that he knew when to leave,

he should've left before this season, but he had so much class that he wanted to eek out another payday and drive drunk around long island,

yea, great career, but not sad to see him go.

my 2 cents.

Kidd was playing well for most of this season and was a big part of this teams success. Drunk or not he has infinitely more class than you have shown on this board, blob.

i disagree that he was a big part of the team's success this season,

maybe early on, but he went something like 200 minutes without a basket when it mattered most.

Felton credits Kidd for helping him have one of his best seasons ever, (sorry holfresh) and his 3pt shooting helped us win plenty of games. I was as disappointed in his playoff performance as anyone but that doesn't mean he didn't make a contribution to the team's success. Doesn't mean he should be disrespected like that.

callmened wrote:now were 17 million over the cap instead of 20million over the cap. it doesnt change much

Open roster spot man. I'll take it. I could fill that spot with any number of good players.

When Felton got injured, Kidd stepped in to play PG, and having to take over the ball handling responsibilities and initiate offense, he got worn down. It was an awful move by Woody. It was obvious from the beginning Kidd wasn't a pg anymore, but a sg. Should've been Prigioni the whole time...