Shane Larkin (AP)
Vitals:
School: University of Miami
Class: Sophomore
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 171 lbs
Wingspan: 5'10.75"
Stats (2012-2013 NCAA season): 36.4 MPG, 14.5 PPG, 4.6 AST, 2.0 STL, 3.8 REB, 2.3 TOV, 47.9% FG, 40.6% 3PT, 77.7% FT
Why should the Nets draft Shane Larkin?... MORE →
Deron Williams (R) with new coach Jason Kidd. (AP)
In a disappointment to all New York basketball fans, the Knicks-Nets series ended in late January last season (with a Nets victory and a 2-2 season series split) and thus we were unable to witness a matchup at a time when both teams were struggling for Eastern Conference playoff seeding late in the season.
Williams also talked about his excitement that friend and idol Jason Kidd was hired as his new head coach:
"I'm from Dallas and Jason Kidd got drafted to the Dallas Mavericks. He was my favorite player growing up," he said. "I had a chance to play against my favorite player, play with him on the Olympic team and win a gold medal, and now I get a chance to be coached by him.
"So it's going to be a great experience for me to get to learn from him and to develop under him. I think it's going to be great for our team as well. We can kind of grow together. I think all of us are a little upset with how the loss to the Bulls went, and we look forward to getting back out on the court already."
Finally, Williams gives Nets fans a reason to look forward to next season (not that they were deprived of any):
"I'm motivated anyways, just because of how last season went," he said. "It was a frustrating season for me because I had to deal with a lot of injuries, and it took me awhile to get right and get healthy. So I'm just looking forward to this season."
ESPN New York -- D-Will: Nets-Knicks rivalry 'forming'
Reggie Evans (AP)
"My mom pretty much raised me," he told ESPNNewYork.com. "My daddy sold drugs and he was in and out of jail, and stuff like that. It was kind of rough. I'm just basically trying to give back to the least fortunate who don't really have nothing in life in terms of trying to succeed in life. ... As long as I'm keeping kids level-headed and just instilling hope and faith in them, I know they can make it."
Evans added that he's hoping to create a real relationship with the father who wasn't around, and how that inspired him to be the father he is:
"To be honest with you, we talk, we communicate and stuff. Things are getting better I can say. I'm feeling real real good about that," he said. "He wasn't really there for me full-time, so him not being there made me want to be there for my kids. Quality time means more than anything for them, so he helped me out a lot. I looked at it from a positive standpoint. Now, me and my daddy are cool."
Evans has three children: Amiya, 9, Alise, 6, and Reggie Jr., 1. Reggie Jr. was often in the locker room after Nets home games this season.
ESPN New York -- Relationship with father fuels Evans' work
Mikhail Prokhorov (AP)
Russian billionaire playboy oligarch/Brooklyn Nets owner/heli-skiier/rapper/politician Mikhail Prokhorov received permission from the NBA to relocate the Nets ownership vehicle to Russia, a move that will allow him to comply with a new Russian law that bans some Russian officials from owning assets abroad. Prokhorov ran for Russian President while owner of the Nets in 2012 -- prior to the new laws regarding foreign assets -- losing to current Russian President Vladimir Putin by a wide margin.
"I received permission from the NBA to transfer the company that owns the Brooklyn Nets to a Russian company," Prokhorov said at the Thursday press conference. The Nets owner also said he received permission to move the ownership structure of Barclays Center to Russia. Neither move should have a significant impact on the operations of the Nets or arena.
Even with the permission, Prokhorov will not run for Mayor of Moscow as previously planned. At a June 13th press conference -- the same day the Nets announced Jason Kidd would be their new head coach -- Prokhorov said his Civil Platform party "will not participate in the procedure of prolonging the current mayor's license."
Prokhorov had planned to run for mayor in Fall of 2015, when current mayor Serei Sobyanin's term runs out. But Sobyanin announced last week that he is stepping down, triggering a special September election that Sobyanin will run in himself. The move is seen as a ploy by Sobyanin to extend his time in office by limiting his opponents' chance to campaign before the elections.
Read More: Transitions Online - - Prokhorov to Sit Out Moscow Mayoral Race
Read More: The Wall Street Journal, Paul Sonne - - The Nets Are About To 'Move' To Russia
How it all went down. (AP)
At 41 years old, Jason Kidd isn't the youngest head coach in the NBA -- that distinction belongs to the 39-year-old Jacque Vaughn. (Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel is also younger than Kidd.) But Kidd is, by far, the least experienced: no other head coach in the NBA has zero experience coaching. Even Mike Budenholzer, Steve Clifford, and Jeff Hornacek, the three others who will be brand new to head coaching next season, all spent years as assistant coaching before taking the leap.
So how did Kidd blow away Brooklyn Nets general manager Billy King in their interview, so much so that King even called Brian Shaw's agent to warn him that Kidd was "very good" before Shaw even got on the plane to Brooklyn?... MORE →
King, Kidd. (AP)
New Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd will coach his first game ever in Orlando -- but not against the Magic. ... MORE →
C.J. Watson (AP)
The Brooklyn Nets will pay head coach Jason Kidd $10.5 million over four years, with three years and $7.5 million guaranteed, reports Peter Vecsey:
FYI: Jason Kidd's contract numbers...4 years, 10.5M, 7.5M guaranteed. Year 4 is team option...according to Edward Snowden
— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) June 13, 2013
Kidd had two years and $6 million remaining on his contract with the New York Knicks, but left that money to go retire. Though Kidd will make less per annum than he did with New York in the first two years, he'll make anywhere from $1.5 million to $4.5 million more over the course of the contract.
The Nets introduced Coach Kidd in a press conference at Barclays Center yesterday.
Frank, Kidd in NJ. (AP)
Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd. (AP)
With dozens of cameras snapping and a basketball in Jason Kidd's hand, one photographer yelled "Coach! Over here!" towards the recently retired point guard.
Kidd, after a split second, looked in his direction, grinning. "Coach," he said. "It's coach from now on."... MORE →
Newly hired Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd is set to appear in court June 20th stemming from his arrest last July on drunken driving charges. According to the AP, Kidd has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge.
Kidd's attorney, Edward Burke Jr., did not immediately return a call from the AP seeking comment.
It was reported at the time of the accident, that Kidd had suffered minor injuries when his vehicle hit a pole and veered into the woods in Water Mill, Long Island last summer.
Many have reported that the pending charge could carry up to a year in prison.
After the arrest, Kidd tweeted:
I regret any disruption my accident last weekend may have caused members of the community and want to thank the local authorities.
— Jason Kidd (@RealJasonKidd) July 20, 2012
It is unknown what effect this situation will have on his ability to carry out his duty as Nets head coach.
Sports Illustrated -- Nets coach Jason Kidd has pending DWI case in NY
Needed this good down south breakfast in my life. Reminds me of my grandmas breakfast she used to cook… http://t.co/6OSlDuOdEE
RT @NOTSportsCenter: REPORT: Jason Kidd has been offered the #Nets head coaching job. Deron Williams is already working on how to get him fired.
More JVG @ESPNNY98_7FM " His impact on the #Nets cannot be denied and he has to make sure he gets areally good staff around him."
RT @NorthJerseybrk: Popper: Jason Kidd as head coach is risky idea for both retired player and #Nets | http://t.co/7BmTZ1SXZB
Didn't say that. Think it'd be really interesting. Just trying to wrap my head around it. RT @BKhoops4Life: you dont want him as coach? Team source says as of this morning there was no indication Kidd had been offered the Nets job yet. Shaw interviews tomorrow.
