Jason Kidd started his career with the Dallas Mavericks. But he left the team after just two seasons. Following an absence of more than a decade, Kidd returned to the squad in 2008.
While Kidd was 34 at the time, he was still a capable player and proved it while playing a vital role in the Mavs’ 2011 championship run.
When Kidd returned to the Mavs, the organization already had a franchise player in Dirk Nowitzki. The German forward had already established himself in the league by then and was regarded as one of the best players. Dirk had a lot of weapons in his arsenal, but his most lethal one? Certainly his ability to drain jumpers with ease.
Kidd was aware of Dirk’s talents and wanted to know the secret behind them.
Via Players’ Tribune
Kidd: “I returned to Dallas in 2008, to the team that drafted me. By then, it was Dirk’s team, without question. I was entering my fifteenth season, and one of the biggest lessons I’d learned along the way was to stay asking other guys for advice. To always try to keep learning and evolving your game. That season, coming into Dallas, I knew I wanted to improve my outside shot. Dirk was a three-point machine.”
Nowitzki: “Spacing your fingers just like this. Tuck your arm. Spread your feet like this. Release the ball like this. The key to shooting is, you have to breathe. No. Through your eyes. Breathe through your eyes.”
Kidd: “I didn’t know how to respond. We kept shooting, and Dirk was just kind of shaking his head at me. Maybe he was punking me? To this day, your guess is as good as mine.”
Well, without a doubt, that’s one confusing advice, but it seemed to have somehow worked. Kidd’s three-point shooting improved a bit, and he was shooting with more confidence.
The guard played for the Mavericks until 2012, also bagging in an NBA championship during his stint with the team. A year later, in 2013, Kidd retired from the NBA and pursued his dream to become a coach.
Kidd is currently the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks and will hope to lead his team to a respectable postseason run in the upcoming season.
