Brooklyn Nets: Jason Kidd To Have His Number Retired

The Brooklyn Nets have announced their intention of retiring the No. 5 jersey of coach Jason Kidd. The ceremony is set to take place on Oct. 17 before a preseason game against the Miami Heat.

Kidd, arguably the greatest Net of all time, led the then-New Jersey Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. Unfortunately for him those appearances were against two dynasties: The Lakers and the Spurs of the early 2000s. The 10-time All-Star finally got that elusive first ring as a Dallas Maverick in 2011.

Kidd will be famously remembered for his assist and rebounding abilities. Throughout his career he had been a consistent tripe double threat–recording more than 100 in 19 seasons. The former California Golden Bear is second on the NBA’s all-time assists and steals boards. Kidd has also been an underappreciated 3-point shooter. At the time of his retirement, he was third on the all-time list. Kidd developed a strong reputation throughout the league during his playing days. He is the only player in NBA history to win back-to-back sportsmanship awards. The reputation and respect he earned throughout the league helped him gain the Nets coaching job straight out of retirement.

This will mark the second time in Kidd’s basketball career that he has had his number retired. In 2004, his alma mater decided to retire his No. 5 jersey. In two years as a Golden Bear, Kidd led his team to two NCAA tournaments–including an upset over two-time defending champion Duke in 1993. Kidd was named an All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1994.

My personal take on this is that I believe it is well deserved. In my opinion, Jason Kidd IS the Nets. When I think Nets basketball, I think of Jason Kidd. The only problem I have with this is its timing. I would rather have the Nets retire his number during the regular season.

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