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“Michael Jordan Looked Back And Winked at Me”: Rookie Jason Kidd Once Thought He Saved Himself From Becoming an ‘MJ Highlight Reel’

Anujit Vijayakumar
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“Michael Jordan Never Let Down Anybody”: When Jason Kidd Declared MJ the GOAT For Always Living up to Expectations

The NBA has seen a diverse group of athletes who were proficient in a vast array of facets of the game. From scoring to playmaking, the sport has seen it all.

Speaking of which, one of the superlative point guards to have played the game is Jason Kidd. Kidd is one of the superlative players not just in his generation, but also in league history.

Over the course of his 19-year career, Kidd amassed over 17000 points. That is an absurd amount of points for a point guard whose primary responsibility falls under the realm of distribution.

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His style of play enabled him to attain over 10,000 career assists as well. An all-time great at his position. Yet like most future stars, Kidd came into the league as a rookie, attempting to find his feet in a dynamic and cutthroat environment.

There he was introduced to ‘His Airness’ Michael Jordan. And when his career came to a close, he only had positive thoughts to share about the six-time NBA champion.

Also read: “Michael Jordan is My 1A, 1B is Kobe Bryant”: 7x Mr. Olympia & Lakers Fan, Phil Heath, Reveals His Favourite Basketball Players

Jason Kidd shares his ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment given by Michael Jordan

Jason Kidd in light of his retirement has taken on an active role as a coach. The high IQ guard has decided to help polish the games of the stars of tomorrow.

As such he has sought the assistance of some of the greatest players to have played the game. J-Kidd even brought in All-time assist leader, John Stockton to give the young talents a glimpse of what it takes to be an NBA player.

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Kidd appeared on the Dan Patrick show roughly six years ago and shared his insights on how the prodigies had been keen to learn about some of the greats. And of course, they wanted him to share stories about five-time NBA MVP Michael Jordan.

The NBA champion said:

“My rookie year, I actually told this story to Khris Middleton, my rookie year I’m guarding him, and my heart’s about to come out of my chest and I just prayed that he shoots a fadeaway jump shot but he decided to go baseline, and when he went to jump, all I could think about this cannot be a highlight and he just did like a little reverse layup and as he came down and started running back he just looked back and winked at me and I thought oh man this could be a long night.”

Needless to say, Jason Kidd was welcomed to the big leagues.

Also read: “You Want me to Mentor This Young Flashy Philadelphia Kid, Kobe Bryant?”: Reggie Miller Once Revealed Common Agent Arn Tellem’s Request

Jason Kidd’s long and successful NBA career

Kidd was a prodigious player during his time. He rose to fame for his ability to play make. Picking out his teammates when the opponents least expected it, dishing out dimes to his peers, and scoring. Kidd could do it all.

His career was validated when he won the 2011 NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks. That moment etched him into the history books.

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As of now, J-Kidd is the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Under his tutelage, a certain Slovenian has been thriving, being a front-runner for the coveted MVP trophy.

The Mavs will look to Kidd for his guidance and Doncic for his leadership in order to capture an NBA championship.

Also read: 6ft 6″ Michael Jordan’s Idol, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Earned His Nickname After Turning Pro, Thanks to a Trainer

About the author

Anujit Vijayakumar

Anujit Vijayakumar

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Anujit Vijayakumar is an NBA and Combat Sports writer at The SportsRush. An avid sports enthusiast, Anujit has been involved in the NBA and Combat Sports spectrum for over five years. Having joined The SportsRush in 2022, Anujit has been an integral member of both the basketball and combat sports community. He has published over 200 articles for NBA and over 150 articles for MMA primarily since his tenure began as a content writer.

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