Thirteen years ago, Jason Kidd reneged on a commitment to join the San Antonio Spurs, and he says that the decision continues to haunt him.
Kidd, then the most coveted free agent in the NBA, got cold feet about teaming up with the recently-retired Tim Duncan.
On day Duncan retires, Kidd reveals he committed to Spurs in '03 before changing his mind + still has 'nightmares' https://t.co/3Q87jfxtV8
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) July 12, 2016
The future Hall of Famer instead inked a six-year, $103 million deal with New Jersey.
Per ESPN:
Calling it “the biggest disappointment,” Kidd said he still has nightmares about his decision to stay in New Jersey and sign a six-year, $103 million deal with the Nets, who were shortly later broken up by new ownership despite having a roster featuring the key players from two consecutive NBA Finals.
“I thought I was going to be a Spur,” Kidd, now the Milwaukee Bucks coach, said while watching his team during the Las Vegas Summer League on Monday. “I committed when I was down there on my visit (to San Antonio). […] On my flight home, I think I got cold feet,” Kidd continued. “And sometimes I have nightmares about that. Maybe I could have won a championship or two there. But I got really lucky with Dallas and won a championship.”
“He was unstoppable,” Kidd said of Duncan during that 2003 NBA Finals win over the Nets. “You talk about Shaq, I would put Tim Duncan in that same category. Mr. Fundamental, just kept things simple, he is a great teammate, a great player and a great person. When you have those ingredients in a champion, you just want to be a part of that and have an opportunity to play with him. But I only got to play with him in All-Star games and with Team USA. Unfortunately I didn’t get to play with him with the Spurs.”
