Jason Kidd Named Nets Head Coach - East Idaho News
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Jason Kidd Named Nets Head Coach

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6 3 13%20Kidd%20A?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1371099852809NBA Via New York Knicks (BROOKLYN, N.Y.) — Jason Kidd is back with the Nets, but he won’t be dishing out assists this time.

Kidd, who played for the Nets for six and a half seasons, was named the team’s head coach Wednesday.

“Jason Kidd has a long and legendary history with the Nets and with the city of New York,” Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said. “He has the fire in the belly we need, and has achieved as a player everything the Brooklyn Nets are striving to achieve. We believe he will lead us there. Welcome home, Jason.”

Kidd played for the Nets from 2001-08, leading the team to two NBA Finals appearances. He played for the New York Knicks this season, and retired after the team was ousted from the playoffs in the second round.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to be named head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, and it’s a role I have been studying for over the course of my playing days,” said Kidd. “Championship teams are built on being prepared, playing unselfishly and being held accountable, and that’s how I expect to coach this basketball team. I am truly excited about this next phase of my basketball career.”

The 40-year-old Kidd is a 10-time NBA All-Star who ranks second all-time in NBA history in assists and steals.

Kidd takes over for P.J. Carlesimo, who served as the Nets’ interim coach after the team fired Avery Johnson this past season. Carlesimo had a 35-19 record as the lead man, taking the Nets to the playoffs, where they lost to the Chicago Bulls in the first round.

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