The Brooklyn Nets honored one of the franchise’s best players ever by retiring and raising Jason Kidd’s No. 5 jersey to the rafters at the Barclays Center on Thursday night.
Kidd was honored and grateful but also wanted the 10-minute ceremony to go as quickly as possible so he could get back to his new job — coaching the Nets, who faced the Miami Heat in a preseason game.
“I don’t know if anyone’s had their number retired and had to go to work,” Kidd said before the game. “I’m a rookie coach. So this game, [the ceremony] being [in the] preseason is something I wanted. I wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible and then get back to my team.
Former Nets general manager and current NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn, former teammate Kerry Kittles, former Nets great Buck Williams, and former assistant coach and current Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan were present to watch only the sixth Nets jersey to be retired. Kidd thanked his family and former teammates and coaches.
Upon his arrival from Phoenix to New Jersey in a trade for Stephon Marbury in 2001, Kidd orchestrated an incredible turnaround as the Nets went from winning 26 games the season before to 52 victories in his first season (2001-02). He led the Nets to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances. Under Kidd’s watch, the Nets won their first two Eastern Conference championships and four Atlantic Division titles.
In his 6½ seasons in New Jersey, Kidd averaged 14.6 points, 9.1 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game. As a Net, he was a five-time All-Star, and was All-NBA three times and All-Defensive team six times. He owns the franchise records for assists (4,620), steals (950), 3-point field goals made (813) and triple-doubles (61).