TJ Kidd grew up around some of the most memorable Nets teams ever, and now he’s sharing the stories fans never got to hear. From Jason Kidd’s coaching run to Kevin Garnett’s trash talk, Kidd offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at Brooklyn’s past and future.
TJ Kidd grew up around some of the most memorable years in New Jersey Nets history, so he has plenty of stories from his time around the franchise.
The son of Nets legend and Hall of Famer Jason Kidd, TJ joined the Only Net Fans You Know podcast to talk about his experiences around the team. He discussed the 2013-14 Brooklyn Nets, his father becoming the team's head coach, the blockbuster trade with Boston, Kevin Garnett's trash talk, and what he thinks about the Nets' current rebuild.
One of his favorite memories from the New Jersey era involved Kobe Bryant. Kidd recalled getting a photo with Bryant during the NBA Finals and said Kobe has always been someone special to him because of his experiences around the NBA.
He also mentioned several other players who made an impact on him during those years, including Brian Scalabrine, Cliff Robinson, Jason Collins and Nenad Krstić. Being around those players allowed Kidd to learn from people who had spent years in the league.
Kidd then looked back at his father's surprising decision to become Brooklyn's head coach in 2013.
Jason Kidd had just finished his playing career with the New York Knicks when he made the jump into coaching. TJ said he didn't even know his father was retiring until the news came out. A few days later, Kidd was hired by the Nets, bringing him back to an organization that had played such a major role in his career.
The coaching hire was followed by one of the biggest moves in franchise history.
The Nets acquired Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry from the Boston Celtics, adding several veteran names to a roster that already featured Joe Johnson, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez.
TJ had a unique perspective on the trade. He was working as an NBA Draft intern that year and later went back to the Nets' war room, where he saw the deal on the board.
At the time, he understood why the Nets made the move. On paper, the roster looked capable of competing with Miami. But TJ also pointed out that the ages of the players involved made the situation difficult, and ultimately the team never reached the level many expected.
The Nets struggled out of the gate, starting the season 11-21. With championship expectations surrounding the team, TJ remembers the atmosphere being tense.
There were plenty of veteran personalities in the locker room, including Garnett and Pierce, and the pressure was on Jason Kidd to figure things out quickly as a first-time head coach.
The Nets eventually did just that. Brooklyn finished 44-38 and went on a 33-7 run later in the season. TJ said it was interesting watching his father adjust to coaching players who had recently been his peers while also trying to bring together a roster with so many different personalities.
Then there was Garnett.
During an open practice, Kidd commented after Garnett missed a shot. Garnett responded by telling him to let him know when he had scored 20,000 points in the NBA.
Kidd knew immediately that he had messed up.
“I had no business saying that,” Kidd said, describing the exchange as one of his core memories from that time.
Kidd also revisited the infamous soda incident involving his father and Tyshawn Taylor during a game against the Lakers.
At first, TJ didn't know exactly what had happened. After seeing another angle of the incident on Twitter, though, he realized the spill had been intentional. The sequence was an attempt to get a timeout when the Nets didn't have one, although it ultimately came with a $50,000 fine.
Despite how the season ended, Kidd has plenty of positive memories from that Nets team.
He talked about meeting Rihanna in the hallway at Barclays Center, watching his father's jersey get retired and seeing some memorable performances from Joe Johnson, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez. He also called Lopez one of his all-time favorite people and said he believes the big man deserves to have his jersey retired by the Nets.
The conversation eventually shifted toward the Nets' current rebuild.
If Kidd were running the team, he said he would keep Jordi Fernández as head coach and give the roster some time to show what it can do before making major moves. He mentioned potentially moving Michael Porter Jr.'s contract for a draft pick or a useful role player, but stressed that Brooklyn needs to approach the rebuild with patience.
Kidd is also high on Brooklyn's young talent.
He said he likes Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin and believes the Nets are moving in the right direction. He understands that fans want to see immediate results, but he doesn't think young players should be judged too quickly.
Brown Jr. was specifically brought up as someone who could have a major impact on the team's ceiling. Kidd believes the rookie point guard has plenty of potential, but said the Nets need to give him and the rest of their young players time to develop.
Kidd's optimism even extended to the Nets' projected win total.
When asked about Brooklyn's 24.5-win over/under, he picked the over. He pointed to the team's young talent and said staying healthy will be important, while again identifying Brown Jr. as a potential breakout player who could raise the team's ceiling.
For Kidd, the Nets are more than just another NBA team. He grew up around the franchise, watched his father play and later coach the team, and built memories with players and people throughout the organization.
Now, he is watching another Nets rebuild unfold from the outside. And while he knows fans are eager to see the team get back to contention, Kidd believes the best thing Brooklyn can do right now is give its young players time to grow.
