Dead Men Walking
RJ. Photo. Zandy MangoldToday’s Daily News has an article about how Jason Kidd’s ongoing trade saga was killing the team. The story includes this quote Richard Jefferson:
“I’m not going to lie,” Jefferson said Thursday, “we were dead men walking with the Jason Kidd situation.”
Jefferson was referring to Kidd’s desire to be traded from the team, which the future Hall of Fame point guard made public in late January, the day after the Nets had lost a ninth straight game.
However, Jefferson confirmed yesterday what many had already known, that Kidd’s unhappiness with the team was a not-so-well-kept secret inside the locker room. Jefferson said that made it difficult for the Nets to concentrate on priority No.1 – advancing to the playoffs for the seventh straight year.
RJ is quoted a little later on the story as saying, “People made it seem like it was only like that when he went public. No, that situation had been going on all season, but it was behind closed doors.”
That’s a different picture of the Nets locker room than the one painted by Kidd when I interviewed him for his feature in the new issue of Dime (Michael Beasley cover, on newsstands now). When I asked him point blank how his drama affected the mood in the locker room, he told me:
“The thing about the Nets locker room is that we weren’t into talking about the business of basketball. Unless you’re told otherwise, you have to play hard every night. You have to remember that you represent the back of that jersey, too. You never want to point the finger at someone else.”
Now, obviously I didn’t expect Jason to say that his situation at the time was really hurting the team, but it’s interesting to see these kind of quotes come out of the Nets camp now. And who knows? Maybe he didn’t think it was having that much of an affect on his teammates.
To read the full article go HERE.
March 28th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
GEE...How dare you touch the personage of a King! says:
Jason needs to check Vince if he gone check anyone. He had ample time to say something to Kidd or do something while he (Kidd) was there. Don’t start spilling beans and trying to say this and that now that home is gone. That is B#tch$ss$ness as puff says. All those L’s were a team effort don’t blame Kidd as a distraction for the L’s.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Sushi says:
Of course Jason would say that. He’s Jason freaking Kidd! He’s never to blame! He was dogging it all this season to make sure he got his ticket punched out of that jersey that he said that he was represnting. It’s laughable that this guy gets such a pass just because of how he can play when he feels like it. Yes, he’s is in the Hall already, but he’s still a grade A cancer when things aren’t going his way. But now that Dirk’s hurt, the Mavs can hide behind that for them sitting at home during the playoffs rather then trade for this over the hill idiot.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
doc says:
Kidd was bullshittin out Jersey but now he cant turn it back on full speed its gone.
March 28th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
E$ says:
sorry R.J. the fans of Houston wanted you, but management took the “other” kid – R*I*P “Griff”
March 29th, 2008 at 12:19 am
2 Easy says:
He Dogged it? I swear he was droppin Triple doubles left and right for the Nets who were still suckin it up. Quite frank a team that has the startin lineup that features RJ, Vince & JKidd SHOULD NEVER lose 9 in a row. 1 man is not to blame for that, all of them are
March 29th, 2008 at 1:59 am
QQ says:
Who listens to Jefferson, who is such a one dimensional asshole?
March 30th, 2008 at 2:03 am
tealish says:
I love J Kidd, but if that guy could just hit an open jumper he would be 3X as deadly. Seriously, watch him right now. He can’t hit a wide open jumper from anywhere on the court to save his life.
That alone can do wonders in destroying lockerroom morale.