Jason Kidd, a future Hall of Famer as a point guard who played this past season as a member of the New York Knicks, made his coaching debut as the leading man on the Brooklyn Nets bench in a summer league game against the Detroit Pistons.
It wasn't the only first for Kidd; the ex-point guard picked up his first technical foul on the sidelines for straying too far from the coaches box while giving an official an earful.
A chuckling Kidd discussed getting T'd up with reporters following his debut. "So it's a lesson learned, that I know I can't go past halfcourt," Kidd said. "Hey, I've seen some of these coaches be all the way down on the other end. I can't follow their lead in that aspect. I learned really quickly where the box is."
His team lost 78-67 in his first ever coaching experience, which also included a funny moment in which Kidd showed his youth on the bench by fist bumping his whole coaching staff.
Kidd will have a very intriguing first year as a head coach, leading a flashy Brooklyn Nets squad that will have the bright, New York spotlight trained on it. A draft night trade shipped out Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and multiple draft picks, netting them future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett from the Celtics.
The Nets starting lineup, assuming health, will consist of Deron Williams, Pierce, Joe Johnson, Garnett and Brook Lopez, which is as star-studded a starting five as any in the NBA. They also dealt three future first-round picks, putting the onus on this collection of star veterans, and the rookie coach who will be merely a year removed from wearing a jersey, to win immediately.
To do that, he'll likely need to rely on his top assistant, Lawrence Frank, and stay away from too many costly techs.
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