In an interview with Brooklyn Nets organization beat reporter Lenn Robbins, Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd dished on a wide variety of subjects, including meditation, his family, his golf game, how he met his wife Porschla, and why he wants Vin Diesel to play him in a movie.
Some highlights from the interview:
Q. The one thing you learned from your father that helped you become who you are today?
A. He always told me not to rush things. As a kid, I always wanted it now. He always talked about working hard. Sometimes things just don’t come to you; you’re going to have to work for it. So I guess that falls under being patient.
Q. How about mom, what did you get from her?
A. She’s such a competitor. I think that’s where my competitiveness comes from. Even as she’s gotten younger she’s still competitive. She says she played ball. They didn’t have YouTube then so we’re trying to find out if she really played. She says she did. When I was a kid growing up she used to say she could shoot. We’d shoot against each other. I won’t say who won. So the competitiveness, I got that from her.
Q. How has meditation helped you as a coach?
A. I can use the Philadelphia game (a 4-point win in which the Nets gave back most of 21-point lead) as an example. I wasn’t panicking about the score, or what was happening, I just needed to find out who could handle the situation. As a player, I always felt confident that if I was caIm, my teammates knew, “He’s going to do something to help is win.” As a coach, my hands are really tied. I got to believe in my players. If they see I’m calm, they’ll believe I trust them, which I do.
Q. What actor who you would want to play you in a movie?
A. Vin Diesel. Give me some muscles.
Q. How did you meet your wife, Porschia?
A. A friend of mine and I met [her and a friend] in the city, just the four of us. She started talking about yoga and I started feeling good about myself saying I thought I could do yoga. I showed up to class the next day. I embarrassed myself. And maybe she showed out, let’s put it that way. She was in her arena and I wasn’t. From there it was good.
Q. Who would you vote for Coach of the Year?
A. [Duane] Casey’s done a great job in Toronto. I think Jack (Mark Jackson) has done a great job in Golden State. I would have put my two guys, Casey and Terry Stotts. You have a great story in Phoenix. [Jeff] Hornacek. My vote would be split three ways between Casey, Hornacek and Stotts.
Q. Can you at least allow yourself to understand people putting you in the conversation?
A. I guess I have no choice. But I couldn’t understand. I’m just doing my job. I’m trying to do my job. I’m trying, actually, to learn how to do my job. So it would have to be someone who wasn’t killing me at the beginning. Then I could respect that.
Q. Favorite meal?
A. I love sushi. Fish, I love fish, too. Halibut with vegetables is great. But sushi is great.
Full interview below.
