Getty Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2018 Inductee Jason Kidd.
Remember that time Jason Kidd forced a timeout by intentionally spilling a cup of soda on the floor to win a game against the Los Angeles Lakers?
It was ingenious and quite funny.
With 8.3 seconds left in the game and the Nets trailing by two, the team had no more timeouts remaining. Former Nets reserve point guard Tyshawn Taylor bumped into Kidd who had a cup of soda and ice in his hand. Kidd spilled the cup on the Barclays Center court and the referees called a timeout. The Nets were able to huddle and draw a play.
For those keeping score at home: It was Kidd’s first season as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets and after further video review of the incident, the NBA Hall of Famer who led the then-New Jersey Nets to two NBA Finals was seen mouthing the words “hit me” to Taylor.
Kidd denied it after the loss and stated “I was never good with the ball.”
The next day, the NBA fined Nets cKidd $50,000 for delaying the game in the Nets 99-94 loss to the Lakers.
Get this: the cup spilling incident didn’t just have an effect on the NBA court.
Nope. Jason Kidd’s son, TJ Kidd felt the wrath of it too.
The youngest Kidd has had stints over the last few years coaching at Beverly Hills Prep and he tells Scoop B Radio that says the state of California does not allow beverages on the court during high school basketball games.
On a recent episode of the Scoop B Radio, he explains how the cup spilling incident has become a running joke in the Kidd household.
Check out our Q&A below:
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Where were you during the Cup-spilling incident?
TJ: Kidd: I was a couple rows behind the bench, I had no idea what happened, and honestly I thought it was a great move, because really I would’ve done the same thing, I would’ve done the same exact thing. If I ran out of timeouts, I would’ve did the same exact thing. Some of it’s funny, and people get a kick out of it, and it is what it is.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Was it ever a running joke later?
TJ Kidd: I mean, I’ll poke him about it here and there just as a joke, but it happened, and it is what it is. It was a great basketball play, and there’s a rule in California, cause you know I coach high school basketball, and it’s called the Jason Kidd rule. You’re not allowed to have water and stuff on the floor because you may spill it and delay the game, so when I was told this, guess who the first person I sent a text message to was.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Your father!
TJ Kidd: Yep and he thought it was hilarious.
Jason Kidd’s Nets Playing Days in New Jersey
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What do you remember about the Nets days?
TJ Kidd: Oh man, so much, so much fun stuff, so much joy. Lot of joy for me to look back at it and just, it really is something that, man, it’s really hard to put into words because it’s fun, it’s my childhood, so it’s really hard to describe what your childhood means to you till you really can just sit down and look at all the fun, important moments.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: When did who wake up and it register that: ‘Yo Jason Kidd is my dad?’
GettyTJ Kidd with Jason Kidd at the 2002 US Open.
TJ Kidd: Honestly, I didn’t think much of it, I just knew my dad was a professional basketball player, but it was cool to see that he was able to come in and make such an impact in the way that he did, and I probably noticed it around when I was, like, 8 or 9, like right after the end of his New Jersey tenure. Just looking at it and kind of looking back like, “oh wow, my dad did this, that’s awesome.” Not a lot of kids get to say that and I’ve always been proud of that.
Jason Kidd and LeBron James’ Relationship in LA
Jason Kidd is now a Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach under head coach Frank Vogel. TJ Kidd discusses what he likes about the new atmosphere in LA.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Your first thought when Jason Kidd gave LeBron James a hard time about his turnovers in that game against the Oklahoma City Thunder?
TJ Kidd: When I read that, I was like, “that’s my dad”. That’s who my dad is, he’ll always shoot straight with you, and I’m sure you gotta respect that, LeBron’s probably the best basketball player on the planet, and you have my dad calling him someone like that, that’s pretty, I mean it’s funny to me because no one knows my dad better than I do in that regard, so it’s cool to see that the respect’s there.
TJ Kidd weighs in on Lakers Outlook
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What impresses you about the Lakers this year?
TJ Kidd: Everything. Honestly, absolutely everything impresses me about this Lakers team. We have smart basketball players, it’s just so much fun to watch, we’re so good on the defensive side of the ball, we move the ball well, and I think it started with those top two guys, AD and LeBron, they set the tone, and hopefully it continues throughout the whole season?
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Anyone on the Lakers besides LeBron and AD surprises you?
TJ Kidd: Two people in particular. First, Dwight Howard. I love this Dwight Howard. Dwight Howard has come in, I love this whole redemption thing, and he’s proved it, like he wants to redeem himself for his first stint in LA, and honestly, I’m just so happy for him. The guy works hard, he deserves it, and I hope he continues to play the way he’s been playing.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What’s your fondest childhood memories of Dwight Howard?
TJ Kidd: Probably the ‘08 dunk contest, he actually, from one of his dunks in the ‘08 dunk contest, he gave me the backboard he used as one of the props, like the mini-backboard. Yeah I have it somewhere.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What did he say when he gave it to you?
TJ Kidd: That I do not remember, but I got everyone in the dunk contest that year to sign it.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What’s your fondest childhood memory of LeBron James?
TJ Kidd: Oh man, I feel like there’s so many. There’s a video somewhere of me and him walking down the hallway with my dad at the All-Star game in ‘08, and he was just talking, hyping me up, and, to be with LeBron is just, LeBron’s such a cool guy, man. That’s one. Two would probably be, it was Brooklyn-Miami in the playoffs in the second round, and he just came in and just, he was LeBron, man, he was the best basketball player on the planet, and he just dominated. I was talking a little mess, but that didn’t seem to stop him. We lost, but that was a fond LeBron memory of mine because the dude is so much fun to watch play basketball, man. And then the third, I would have to say, it’s not really a memory, it’s more just, he’s one of my favorite athletes because he gives back, if that makes sense. I think he’s really set the standard, and he does so much good work off the field too that really needs to be recognized so much more than it is. Those would be my top 3 LeBron memories, moments, whatever you want to call them.