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Brooklyn Nets rookie coach Jason Kidd, desperate for a win, tried to pull a fast one by having a player bump into him, causing him to spill a soft drink, which allowed him time to convene with his players while the spill was cleaned up. Problem was, his instructions to “hit me” to Tyshawn Taylor were caught on video, and the NBA was not amused by the trickery.
The league fined Kidd $50,000.
“The league fined me for something that I probably shouldn’t have done,” Kidd said. “We’ll move on.”
Kidd’s tactic allowed him to set up a last-second open three-point shot for Paul Pierce. But Pierce missed and the Los Angeles Lakers earned a 99-96 road win.
Why did Kidd create the distraction?
“It’s about trying to win and those guys in that locker room, and I tried to put those guys in a position to get a basket, a good look and we did,” he said.
Where did he come up with the ploy?
“Um, just listening to other coaches or other owners talk about coaches and what they’ve done,” he said.
One coach was not enthralled by Kidd’s move. “I knew he was going to get caught,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said. “You can’t do that. That’s crazy. He can’t do that. It’s cute for a lot of people, but you can’t do that. . . That’s against the rules. I don’t think that’s very savvy or cool. I love Jason to death, he’s going to be a great coach, but no, you don’t do that.”
