Second-greatest player in the history of each NBA franchise
Dallas Mavericks: Jason Kidd
Greatest Player: Dirk Nowitzki
Drafted second overall in 1994, Jason Kidd would play a little more than two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, claiming co-Rookie of the Year Honors and making the 1996 All-Star Game, before being traded to Phoenix midway through the 1996-97 season.
Not many players return to the team that traded them. By 2008, however, Dallas and Dirk Nowitzki had experienced consistent playoff failure.
The Mavs were in desperate need of a high-end floor general to run the show in the most pressure-filled moments. Kidd fit that bill and returned to Dallas in February of 2008 via a trade.
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On This Day (1995): The future ROY, Jason Kidd, grabbed his first career triple-double in a 130-111 victory over the Lakers ✨ #MFFL pic.twitter.com/lVdKy7Y0iV
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 5, 2020
More postseason shortcomings followed until the magical run of 2011. Kidd shot 37.4 percent from distance with averages of 7.3 assists and 1.9 steals a game during those playoffs. More importantly, his poise, timely shot-making and defense on the likes of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James resulted in Dallas’ first-ever NBA championship.
During roughly eight seasons as a Maverick, Kidd averaged 10.5 points and 8.4 assists per game, the latter of which helped him rank No. 2 all-time in dimes.
His prime years no doubt came outside Dallas, but there’s also no denying Kidd was at the right place at the right time to claim his only championship ring.