Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Though nobody would question whether or not Jason Kidd has an excellent career as a player, many are on the fence about his ability as a coach. After stints as the head coach of the Nets and the Bucks, Kidd doesn’t have a terrible win-loss record but he did ruffle some feathers. He was fired during the season from his last job.
He now finds himself as an assistant coach on an excellent Los Angeles Lakers team with championship aspirations. While there were some heads turned when he was hired, the experiment appears to be working out as he’s got at least one big fan on the team.
“LeBron [James] loves Kidd,’’ one team executive said, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. “But Giannis [Antetokounmpo] swears by him.’’
James doesn’t run the team but he has a lot of say in what the Lakers do and don’t do. The fact that Kidd has his blessing is a good sign for the coach. If he can help keep star players happy, he’s can’t be all that bad.
Some Wouldn’t Want to Hire Kidd
While his star players have typically loved him, Kidd isn’t universally liked. Rumors recently swirled that he could garner interest from the New York Knicks over their head coaching vacancy. However, not everybody is on board with that idea.
“I wouldn’t hire Jason Kidd if he was the last coach standing,’’ said an NBA source who has worked with Kidd, per Berman. “It would be a terrible choice. There’s a reason Milwaukee is in the place where they are right now — coaching.’’
Since Kidd was fired by the Bucks, they’ve become the best team in the Eastern Conference. As the source said, the team didn’t fire him for no reason. Kidd has talent as a coach, he’s proving that now with the Lakers. That said, he clearly has some things he needs to work on before he can lead a team.
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Could Kidd Lure Giannis to the Lakers?
Giannis didn’t do himself any favors when he insinuated that he’d consider playing with his brothers on the Lakers. As the prize free agent of 2021, every team in the NBA is going to try and land the “Greek Freak.” He’s a game-changer and would immediately make any team better. The prospect of pairing Giannis with LeBron James and Anthony Davis has to have Rob Pelinka salivating.
It might sound like a pipe dream but the Lakers are uniquely positioned to convince Giannis to leave the midwest and come to the bright lights of Los Angeles. As Berman reported, last year’s MVP is a big fan of Kidd. If he stays put with the Lakers for a couple of seasons, that could be a big factor for Giannis. Plus, his little brother Kostas currently plays for the purple and gold. The Lakers and Bucks share a hotel during the NBA return to Orlando. There’s almost no doubt players for the Lakers are going to be pointing out to Giannis all the benefits of coming to Los Angeles. If the Bucks don’t win the Finals this year or next, don’t be surprised if Giannis gives some serious thought about joining the Lakers.
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