This Kidd’s No Joke He Wanted To Be The Next Magic, But Move Over John Stockton

Jason Kidd was angry with himself for missing a 3-pointer. Less than 3 minutes remained in a tight game between Dallas and Utah, so there was no time to waste shots.

As quickly as Karl Malone snatched the rebound and hurled it down court to a wide-open teammate, there went Kidd hustling back on defense faster than anyone.

Malone’s bomb was landing before Kidd could get there. Yet, with a big stretch, Kidd swatted the ball toward the sideline.

But just stopping the fast break wasn’t enough. Kidd kept going and squeezed the ball, with his toes barely inbounds.

Back on offense, Kidd settled into what had become his favorite spot of the night - just inside the 3-point line on the left side of the court with Jim Jackson fighting for position along the paint.

The two-man game that had been working all night paid off again as Jackson hit a 6-footer. It was Kidd’s 22nd assist of the night and the Mavericks went up by three.

The game would need two more overtimes to be settled, but the extra minutes were worth it to see Kidd keep playing. Dallas wound up winning 136-133 and Kidd’s line included 20 points, 25 assists, four steals and four rebounds.

It was a sweet way for the Mavericks to end the first half of the season and it was just another in a recent streak of amazing efforts by Kidd.

His assists, most in the NBA since Kevin Johnson had 25 in April 1994, broke Magic Johnson’s Reunion Arena record of 24. They enabled Kidd to break his career and franchise record of 18 and he tied a team record with 13 first-half assists.

And it all happened against John Stockton, whom Kidd considers “the elite point guard in the NBA.”

Stockton better watch out, though. That moniker could be in jeopardy because of Kidd, co-rookie of the year with Detroit’s Grant Hill last season.

Kidd goes about his business in a very Stockton-like manner. Unlike other top point guards in the league, he shoots only when he has to and always thinks pass first.

It’s kind of funny to think Kidd would be compared to Stockton considering he grew up wanting to be “the next Magic Johnson.”

There’s still plenty of Magic in him, which is why every possession feels like a Play of the Day waiting to happen.

There were several candidates Thursday.

The first came late in the first quarter off a lob from George McCloud. Kidd was at the height of his jump when he caught the ball with his back to the basket. He still managed to look over his shoulder, find a target on the backboard and bank in his shot.

A few minutes later, with the period winding down, Kidd found a seam in the middle of the lane then took off for the basket. While in the air, he switched hands with the ball and scooped in a layup.

Then, midway through the fourth quarter, Kidd staved off a Utah rally by setting up his teammates for baskets on three straight possessions. There was a pick-and-roll with Loren Meyer, a drive-and-dish to McCloud for a 3-pointer and another toss to Meyer. On the fourth trip, Kidd scored himself.

Now Kidd is off to San Antonio for the All-Star Game with dreams of passing to even more illustrious teammates.

“I would love to pass to Karl and Sir Charles and Shawn Kemp and Drexler and Olajuwon,” Kidd said. “That’s what’s so fun about playing this game is that I get to play with the best players in the world.”

That includes Stockton.

“I would love to pass to John Stockton,” Kidd said. “That would be great. He could give it to me and then I could give it back to him.”