Quote:July 10, 2003 -- In a bombshell demand to Nets ownership, Jason Kidd has asked the team to fire coach Byron Scott if they hope to keep him from jumping to the Spurs as a free agent, The Post has learned.
The All-Star point guard, according to several league sources, delivered his request during a midtown meeting Tuesday night with his agent, team owners and club president Rod Thorn.
Kidd and Thorn could not be reached for comment yesterday.
One source said that Kidd told Nets ownership his complaint stems from Scott's in-game coaching and that the removal of the second-winningest coach in franchise history is one way to prevent him from going to the San Antonio.
Kidd and Scott, on the surface, seemed to have a good working relationship. They are friendly and have golfed together, but during the season there were rumblings that Kidd disapproved of Scott's in-game decisions. After the Nets were ousted in Game 6 of the Finals by the Spurs in a game where Scott was criticized for his fourth-quarter adjustments, sources said Kidd told Nets brass his son "T.J. could have coached a better quarter."
"Jason expressed concerns, ranging from team personnel, to life after basketball to the current coaching situation," said one of the sources.
"This has been brewing for some time," maintained another source.
Scott, contacted last night, sounded stunned by the development.
"I have no reaction," said Scott, who won three title rings as a Laker player. "It surprises me."
Asked if he sensed any ill feelings or animosity from Kidd in their two years together, Scott quickly said, "No, not at all."
Scott's agent, Brian McInerney, who has been with the coach for 19 years, said last night that he spoke with Kidd's agent, Jeff Schwartz, after learning of the player's demands.
"I talked to Jeff Schwartz frequently and we both believe that whatever is decided should be decided in a professional manner and not in a public debate," McInerney said. "I doubt the validity of this meeting without an official comment from Rod Thorn. These releases harm the franchise, harm the players, harm players' families. Everything should only be released through Rod Thorn."
The Nets took the ultimatum very seriously but likely would not move against Scott until Kidd commits to stay. Team brass is expected to start reviewing possible coaching candidates, such as 2001-02 Coach of the Year Rick Carlisle, Mike Dunleavy, Doug Collins and Mike Fratello.
In addition to his demand on Scott, Kidd also wants an upgrade in talent, so the Nets are seeking to lock up his friend, free-agent center Alonzo Mourning.
Thorn had just returned from Miami, where he met with Mourning and his agent, Jeffrey Wechsler. The Nets feel strongly they can land Mourning for the mid-level exception, roughly $4.8 million, if Kidd stays. Yesterday, the path to Mourning became easier when Heat president and coach Pat Riley said he was not willing to go beyond one year for the center and it would take a "heroic" gesture by Zo to stay in Miami.
The Nets, after the Spurs' whirlwind, two-day courtship of Kidd and his wife, Joumana, in San Antonio, are prepared to make every attempt beyond the six-year, $99.225 million maximum contract to keep him in New Jersey. Kidd presented his side at Tuesday's meeting, the first of several sitdowns planned for this week.
Kidd would receive a management-level position with the Nets after he retires. There were other issues discussed, such as job opportunities in TV for his wife. More than one source maintained that Joumana, while admittedly impressed by the Spurs' presentation, is leaning heavily toward remaining in New Jersey. While the Spurs also can offer TV opportunities, San Antonio and the Riverwalk are not New York and Madison Avenue.
If the Nets fire Scott, Kidd could emerge as a villain. But if the Nets continue winning - they've been to the Finals in Kidd's two seasons - who would care? Scott is 127-119 (.516) in three seasons. He coached the Nets to their two greatest NBA win totals - 52 in 2001-02 and 49 last season, landing in the Finals both times.
The Spurs were pleased with their presentation to the Kidds but they are not getting overly excited, fearing the longer he's home, the stronger the Nets' chances become.
"The purpose of the trip was to provide a feeling for the personality of our organization," said Spurs GM R.C. Buford. As for whether he thinks Kidd will sign with the Spurs, Buford said, "I have no reason to feel one way or the other."
Mourning and Kidd grew very close with the 2000 U.S. Olympic team. Mourning has said he is watching Kidd's decision very closely.
Mourning is being courted by several teams, including Dallas, with reports the Mavs have offered at least three guaranteed years. Some speculate he would prefer to stay in the East, and with the Nets, he would be close to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in Manhattan, where he has been treated for the kidney illness that forced him out last season and for all but 13 games in 2000-01. One of his closest friends, former Georgetown roommate Dikembe Mutombo, is already here.
Kidd is a fucking dick but will get his way. Knicks should fire Chaney immediately if this happens and hire Scott.
That's kinda strange comin from Kidd. But I think he knows he is better off stayin in the east cause the west is too much competition. He's better off with two young guys like Martin & Jefferson who have not yet hit their primes, plus adding mourning is a flip of the coin. If Zo stays healthy it's great for them an they are automatic in the east.
With the Lakers assesmbling an all-star team I think Kidd realizes his best chances of makin the finals is staying with the nets, plus he'll gain life-time employment with the organization even after he retires.
I don't like the fact that if a star player says, I want the coach gone, then the management says ok, he's gone. Especially if this does happen with kidd, what will happen when Kenyon says something that he wants?
I do think the Nets have to do this. If kidd will sign with them after they drop scott, then they should do it. Scott isn't the best coach ever, good, but not great. People pay to see Kidd not scott.
Also, look at the nets before kidd was here? awfull team, and who coached them...scott. So who makes this team better, kidd or scott?
scott was the reason kidd was outplayed by tony parker and speedy claxton?
Kidd had a horrible first 2 games in the series. But He also won 2 games and also a couple against other teams throughout the playoffs?
Would the nets be here without him? Would they be here with Marbury? Would they being drawing the fans, granted not sellouts, but the amount they do without him? :17:
Quote:scott was the reason kidd was outplayed by tony parker and speedy claxton?
Didn't you blame a certain coach all season long for his team sucking?
at this point if he's saying this stuff he's just looking for a reason to leave
they lost because kidd wasn't the best player on the court. kidd can say whatever he wants to deflect away from that but i think its just him being defensive about it
isiah thomas is a terrible coach and has no sense of when to sub people in and out.
he can make a game plan, but as soon as someone counters it, he's clueless.
he relied on jermaine o'neal to hit him big shots when he wasn't ready for it.
i blame thomas fully for messing up austin croshere. under larry bird he played with total confidence. now thomas comes in and look at him. he lost all that confidence and was never liked by thomas to begin with
jermaine oneal is pulling stuff like this with the pacers, saying he won't return if thomas isn't the coach and if artest isn't traded. if it was up to me i'd let them both go, and let bender and harrington play more.
bobby valentine is available
Joumana Kidd says husband did not make demands
ESPN.com news services
It appears that reported demands made by Jason Kidd are a surprise to him as well.
Kidd's wife, Joumana, said her husband never demanded that the New Jersey Nets fire coach Byron Scott as a means of preventing his free-agent defection to the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.
In a phone conversation with ESPN the Magazine's Ric Bucher, Joumana Kidd denied the reports that her husband delivered his request during a Tuesday night meeting with his agent, team owners and Nets president Rod Thorn.
She went on to say that the Nets would support her husband in that Kidd never made such a demand.
That's exactly what happened Thursday afternoon. After initially issuing a statement that he would keep his conversation with Kidd private, Thorn eventually released another statement denying that Kidd asked for Scott to be fired.
"I want to categorically refute the story in several of today's papers that Jason Kidd demanded that Nets head coach Byron Scott be fired as a pre-condition to his returning with the New Jersey Nets basketball team," read Thorn's statement. "I want to state emphatically that at no time, in any conversation that I have had with Jason, has he demanded that coach Scott be fired.
"In my over four decades in the NBA, I have never encountered a player more cognizant than Jason of the delineation of roles between management, players and coaches. Jason fully understands that management, and not players, decide who will be employed by the team. I want to reiterate that this was an erroneous story without merit -- Jason Kidd has never asked nor demanded that coach Scott be fired, and to be portrayed otherwise is an injustice to Jason as well as coach Scott."
According to a report in Thursday's New York Post, several league sources said Kidd would only return to the Nets if Scott was fired. The newspaper also says Kidd demanded that the team upgrade its talent.
Neither Kidd nor Thorn were quoted by the Post.
Agent Brian McInerney, who has represented Scott since his playing days as a Laker, told the Post that he spoke with Kidd's agent, Jeff Schwartz, after learning of the player's demands.
"I [talk] to Jeff Schwartz frequently and we both believe that whatever is decided should be decided in a professional manner and not in a public debate," McInerney told the newspaper Wednesday night. "I doubt the validity of this meeting without an official comment from Rod Thorn.
"These releases harm the franchise, harm the players, harm players' families. Everything should only be released through Rod Thorn."
According to one of the tabloid's sources, Kidd told ownership that his complaint stems from Scott's in-game coaching. After the Nets lost the NBA Finals in six games -- Scott was criticized for his fourth-quarter adjustments -- sources told the Post that Kidd told New Jersey's brass his son "T.J. could have coached a better quarter."
Scott wasn't buying it. Asked by the Post if he sensed any ill feelings or animosity from Kidd in their two seasons together, Scott quickly said, "No, not at all."
The two have appeared to be able to work together in the past and, according to the Post's account, have had an amicable relationship away from the court. But during the season there were rumblings of a rift, that Kidd disapproved of Scott's coaching decisions.
Bob Ryan is the only who wants to smack Jason Kidds wife. Did you see her tryin to hog the cameras when MTV did two specials on Kidd "Diary" and "cribs".
I just love how she makes their alien head lookin son sign autographs at the games, I dunno who is more pathetic: her or the people who actually ask for his autograph.
i would ask for the kids autograph to see her up close
ive sat one row behind her, shes dreamy :loveya:
good news....
With Mourning on the way, Kidd will stay
ESPN.com news services
Free-agent center Alonzo Mourning plans to sign with the New Jersey Nets, apparently paving the way for Jason Kidd to re-sign in New Jersey, a league source who spoke with Mourning's agent Thursday night told Insider's Chad Ford.
Mourning could announce as early as today that he'll sign a 4-year, $20 million contract with the Nets.
This is a major reversal of fortunes for the Nets, who experienced the low of lows Thursday, when word leaked that Kidd reportedly wanted coach Byron Scott fired.
From the various reports that have surfaced in the past week, it's pretty clear Kidd wasn't entirely happy with the status quo in New Jersey.
Now that it appears the Nets have locked up Mourning and Kidd is expected to stay. However, they still need to deal with the coaching situation.
What is that situation? Insider has the full story ...
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Mourning's agent told the Insider source that Mourning agreed to sign with the Nets after receiving assurances that Kidd also will re-sign.
Kidd's agent, Jeff Schwartz, didn't return a phone call Friday morning seeking comment.
Mourning, who can't officially sign until July 16th, will be in Miami tonight at Zo's Summer Groove, his charity basketball game and dinner.
Mourning, 33, was diagnosed in October 2000 with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disease that can eventually require a transplant. He played in just the final 13 games for the Heat in 2000-01, but appeared in 75 games the following season.
For his career, Mourning has averaged 20.3 points and 9.80 rebounds per game, but in the last two seasons he has played, his numbers have dropped off, to 13.6 and 7.80 in his abbreviated '00-01 season and 15.7 and 8.40 in '01-02.
Last September, shortly before training camp, Mourning was advised by doctors to skip the 2002-03 season because test results indicated his condition had worsened.
He has since received medical clearance for 2003-04.
Mourning's move also ends weeks of speculation surrounding Kidd's future in New Jersey. After heavy courting from the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, Kidd will return for his third season with the Nets.
News reports swirled on Thursday that Kidd demanded that the Nets fire coach Byron Scott as a means of preventing Kidd's free-agent defection to the Spurs.
Both sides dismissed those claims, and Kidd and his wife, Journana, told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher that the request was never made during a meeting with Kidd's agent, team owners and president Rod Thorn, the Nets president.
The official statement from Jason Kidd...
"After great thought and consultation with the important people in my life I have decided that I want to remain a New Jersey Net.
I have enjoyed being here the past 2 years, I have worked hard with my teammates and believe in our future. I've been fortunate to have had significant interest from other great organizations but ultimately I want to finish what we started here and bring a Championship to the Nets.
I want to thank the Nets ownership, management, coaches and all the fans for the support everyone has shown me the past 2 years and I look forward to finishing my career here."
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Do you think Kidd made the decision based on the fact
1)The nets have a stellar organization
2)His wife wants to be close to NY to whore herself out
3)Its his best shot at getting a title
4)Because of LA stockpiling an allstar team
I'm going with the last choice.
A little bit of #4 and a lot a bit of #2
Yeah, but why would 4 affect him, if he wants to win championships he will eventually have to probablly face them.
because if he stays in the east he's almost a lock for at least the easter conference finals for a long time. if he goes to the west he can easily got knockd out first round