Former Cal Guard Jason Kidd Voted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
He's arguably the greatest Cal Men's Basketball player of all time, and he got inducted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame in September. Now he's gone up a level, and former Cal guard Jason Kidd is headed to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. His selection was announced at the Final Four Saturday morning.
From Cal's official release:
Kidd, who enjoyed a stellar 19-year career as a basketball player in the NBA, joins Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Grant Hill, Maurice Cheeks, Tina Thompson, Charles "Lefty" Driesell, Charlie Scott, Rick Welts, Katie Smith, Ora Mae Washington, Dino Radja and Rod Thorn in the 2018 class.
The Bay Area basketball product was the second pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, selected by the Dallas Mavericks, and quickly worked his way to 1994-95 NBA Rookie of the Year honors. Across his nearly two-decade career, Kidd amassed 12,091 assists (8.7 apg) and 2,684 steals (1.93 spg) and still ranks second among the NBA’s all-time leaders in both categories. Kidd also currently ranks third for triple-doubles (107) and ninth for three-point field goals (1,988) all-time.
A 10-time NBA All-Star, Kidd’s dazzling array of accolades includes five All-NBA first team selections and 10 All-Defensive team honors. He won an NBA Championship with the Mavericks in the 2010-11 season, plus two gold medals with the U.S. Olympic team in 2000 and 2008.
Following his retirement, he served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2013-14 and of the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014-18, leading his teams to the playoffs three times in four seasons.
Prior to his time in the NBA, Kidd enjoyed a standout two-year career for the Bears, propelling the squad to back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths in 1993 and 1994. As a freshman at Cal in 1992-93, Kidd recorded a school-record 110 steals to lead the nation, guiding the Bears to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time in 33 years. Kidd helped the Bears beat LSU and defending champion Duke on his way to being named the National Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, he posted a single-season school record of 272 assists, and his 204 career steals over those two seasons remain the most in program history. He was named the 1994 Pac-10 Player of the Year and a first team Associated Press All-America honor. Kidd declared for the NBA Draft following his sophomore season at Cal.
Even following his departure from Berkeley, Kidd has maintained his ties to the Golden Bears. Last year, Kidd headlined a 10-member class inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame, and in November 2016 he officially endowed The Jason Kidd Scholarship for men's basketball.
His No. 5 jersey was retired by the Bears in 2004, the same year he was inducted into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor.
What makes Kidd the greatest Cal men's basketball player of all time? He's the highest draft pick in Cal history (number 2 overall in 1994), he led the Bears to an upset that's played in the montage of March Madness highlights every year, and he still holds the career steals record at Cal despite playing only two seasons. Kidd also helped the Bears to two straight NCAA tournament appearances, as the Bears had all of one in the prior 31 seasons.
The former St Joseph's Notre Dame HS (Alameda, CA), Kidd was inducted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame in September, getting recognized at the football contest against Weber State.
Kidd also got the bobblehead treatment, as Cal handed out a bobblehead before the Arizona State game in January.
Kidd becomes the first player from Cal to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and the second Cal legend to be inducted, joining Cal coach Pete Newell in that regard.