The Rise and Fall of Jason Kidd: Phoenix Suns' Legend, Troubled Man
Jun 13, 2013; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd speaks during a press conference at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
In a franchise with a long history of great point guards, Jason Kidd was one of the best to ever don the Phoenix Suns’ purple and orange.
And although his tenure with the Phoenix Suns was cut short, leaving some wondering “What If?”, fans can still look back on his fast-paced, run-and-gun style fondly as he played with the kind of non-stop game that Suns fans most relate too.
Following his scant four and a half seasons in Phoenix from the end of 1996 through 2001, Kidd held regular season franchise records for most three-pointers made in a game (tied-8); most free throws attempted in a half (19); most assists in a quarter (10); most turnovers in a game (14-tied an NBA record); most consecutive points by one player (16); most triple doubles in a season (7-accomplished twice); most triple-doubles in a career (26); and most quadruple-doubles including turnovers (1).
When he was traded from the Suns in 2001, Kidd was fifth in Suns history in three-point field goals made (283); fourth in three-point field goals attempted (854); fourth in assists (3,011); he had led the Suns in free throw percentage twice (1999-01); led the Suns in rebounding once (1999-00).
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Kidd also led the Suns in total assists and assists per game four times (1997-2001), including three seasons where he led the league (1998-01); led the Suns in total minutes three times (1997-99 – 2000-01); was a three-time All-Star (1998, 2000, 2001); was All-NBA first team (1999, 2000, 2001); a two-time All-Defensive First Team (1999 and 2001); and one time All-Defensive Second Team (2000).
But Jason Kidd’s tenure in Phoenix was not all roses. His entrance to Phoenix came after issues with coaching and management in Dallas, and he was not met with the sort of coronation by the fans that previous superstar Charles Barkley received only five years earlier.
His exit was equally as unpleasant, as personal issues threw themselves into the spotlight forcing owner Jerry Colangelo’s hand.
This is the Story of the Rise, and Fall, of One of the Great Point Guards in Phoenix Suns’ History.
Jason Kidd: The Beginning
The summer of 1996 marked a bitter end to the Charles Barkley era. Shipping him to the Houston Rockets for four players who would spend a combined total of 175 games in Phoenix, the Suns were left with no star power and a rudderless ship listlessly floating through the choppy Western Conference waters.
Prior to Barkley’s trade, the Suns had drafted talented scoring swingman Michael Finley, an air apparent following Barkley’s departure. In 1996 they drafted Steve Nash, the presumed replacement for Kevin Johnson following his inevitable retirement. But without the presence of a true star on the roster, the Suns were nothing more than a roster full of nice – though mostly aging – players, with no obvious direction for the future.
The 1996-97 season started off miserably as the Suns set a franchise record losing their first thirteen games in a row. Cotton Fitzimmons, who had taken over mid-season the year before following Paul Westphal’s firing, called it quits only eight games into the streak leaving first year Coach Danny Ainge with the responsibility of attempting to turn things around.
Starting his tenure 8-11, the Suns limped through a home Christmas Day blowout loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers, and a lowly 8-19 record overall, good for last in the Pacific Division and eight worst in the entire NBA.
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Then, a day late, came Christmas.
On December 26, General Manager Bryan Colangelo, son of owner Jerry, pulled off a trade for Jason Kidd, Loren Meyer, and Tony Dumas, in exchange for Michael Finley, A.C. Green, Sam Cassell, and a second round pick.
Finley and Green were both fan favorites, and Sam Cassell was the Suns’ second leading scorer. Loren Meyer was the starting center in Dallas, and while he was having a statistical down year, Tony Dumas was capable of being a high scorer off the bench.
Yet according to the Arizona Republic, fans were not happy. Callers and web users messaged the publication 5-1 against the trade due to Kidd’s issues with coaching and management in Dallas, as well as Michael Finley’s status as a young fan favorite with lots of potential. Also, while Sam Cassell was not happy in Phoenix, many fans were excited about the young point guard’s potential as well.
Believing that the Suns had simply traded away too much, it was a general consensus that this was a bad deal for Phoenix.
But, as is often the case, fans got to see what Kidd brought to the team right away, even if they would not get to see Kidd’s consistent greatness just yet.
Playing the Vancouver Grizzlies in his first game as a Sun, Kidd nearly recorded a triple-double in the first half, racking up 6 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals before breaking his collarbone seconds before halftime. Missing the next seven weeks, his return on Valentine’s Day 1997 would help spark one of the most unexpected runs in NBA history.
The Suns finished the season with a 22-10 stretch, including an unprecedented 11 game winning streak, catapulting them into the playoffs for the ninth season in a row. Most impressively, that team was the first in NBA history with a double-digit losing and winning streak in the same season.
Jason Kidd: Building Upon Success
With Kidd firmly entrenched as the star point guard of the future, Bryan Colangelo had the task of putting together a team that could not only continue to make the playoffs, but become the contenders the franchise was used to.
First came the free agent signings of power forward/center Cliff Robinson and swingman sharp-shooter George McCloud. Then came the trade for Antonio McDyess, a move considered as a heist, by local media.
Suddenly, a team who only a season prior had started 0-13, was now poised for a tremendous turnaround, and a team in need of a direction, now had players around star Jason Kidd to try to make it happen.
Kidd’s 1997-98 season went spectacularly. Making the All-Star game as a reserve, Kidd started in all 82 game for Phoenix, averaging 11.6 points per game and 9.1 assists.
Chapman, Robinson, McDyess, and Danny Manning produced better as a unit that had been expected, and the Suns finished with a surprising 56-26 record – their best in three seasons.
With the 4th best record in the West, the Suns entered the playoffs with home court advantage against the San Antonio Spurs. The two evenly matched teams held tough, and headed to San Antonio tied at one game each, only to have two terrible second halves do the Suns in.
Kidd played masterfully, and led the Suns as far as he could, but the Suns’ lack of front court depth proved the Suns incapable of holding off David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
In a shocking turn of events, Antonio McDyess would leave Phoenix to return to Denver, leaving Kidd without his most dynamic wingman.
To reconcile the roster, Bryan Colangelo signed free agent Tom Gugliotta, who while not quite as high-flying, put up similar numbers. Kidd set a career high in scoring (16.9 points per game) and assists (10.8 per game), in the lockout shortened 1998-99 season, but the Suns would once again be bounced in the first round, this time in a sweep from Portland.
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The Summer of 1999 brought in first round pick Shawn Marion, future Sixth Man of the Year award winner Rodney Rogers, and the onset of “Backcourt 2000” with the acquisition of Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway from Orlando. Kidd predicted multiple NBA titles, and at first the backcourt pairing did seem to be a significant boon for the Suns.
Completing a 53 win season and a trip to the playoffs, Kidd, who was voted by the fans as an All-Star starter in Oakland, led the league in assists for the second straight season.
Backcourt 2000 had the Suns poised for a deep playoff run. Unfortunately, on March 22, Kidd fractured his left ankle prompting Kevin Johnson out of retirement to help fill the void.
The young star was out of the playoffs until game 4 of the first round. The Suns would win that series in four over San Antonio, only to battle through a tough five game series loss to the Lakers.
2000-01 would start out with very little significant change to the roster, but the outcome would remain the same. Jason Kidd equaled his career high in scoring and led the league in assists, becoming only the fourth point guard in NBA history to lead the league in assists three consecutive seasons. Concurrently, he was voted by the fans as an All-Star starter for the second consecutive year.
However, Penny Hardaway would play in only four games due to complications following knee surgery. Filling the void left by Penny, and because of the fast-break pace of Kidd, high-flying sophomore Shawn Marion took a significant step forward, leading the team in scoring in only his second season in the league. Overall, the Suns finished with 51 wins, breaking the 50 win plateau for the 10th time in 13 seasons.
But as had been the pattern in the Kidd era, their hopes at making a deep run in the playoffs were dashed early. A first round exit to the Sacramento Kings would be the last foray in the Jason Kidd era.
Jason Kidd: The Downfall
Throughout Kidd’s first three and a half seasons in Phoenix, the Suns had failed to reach the Western Conference Finals and were consistently unable to get past the other top teams in the West. By his final season, a general malaise had fallen over the franchise, and even as a consistent 50 game winner, one destined to do so again in 2000-01, Kidd, who was generally stoic on the court, was not driving enough excitement to put fans in the seats.
Then came Thursday, January 18, 2001.
Kidd and his wife Joumana had been quarreling throughout the day, and at about 5:30 pm, Jason’s emotions got the best of him. After his wife told him to not eat their kid’s french fries, Jason spit the fry into her face, then slapped her, according to a police report.
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Kidd was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence assault, but was released on his own recognizance.
The team suspended him for several games, but the damage had already been done. Coupled with the arrest of Cliff Robinson for suspicion of DUI less than a month later, and Penny Hardaway making the news for intimidating his child’s mother with a gun the previous December, Jerry Colangelo decided the Suns were in desperate need for a change, and it seemed inevitable that at least Kidd would be moved.
Following the Suns’ first round exit to the Kings, Kidd’s fourth first round loss in five seasons, Bryan Colangelo found a suitor in the New Jersey Nets and traded the superstar point guard for another playmaker they coveted: Stephon Marbury.
In one of the worst-kept secrets in Arizona sports, sources leaked the contents of the deal to the Arizona Republic a month early, and Jason and Joumana Kidd found out through the media that he had been traded weeks before it could legally become official on July 18.
Burned by not having been informed personally by the Colangelo’s, Jason left the Suns with a similar level of contempt as he had in Dallas, and for the second time in five years, both sides were left wondering: What if?
What are your most fond memories of the Jason Kidd era? Leave your comments below!
*All research was performed using the Phoenix Suns 2002-03 Media Guide and a personal subscription to the Arizona Republic Archives.