Byron Scott: Tough Love For Jason Kidd
By Scott Asai
The Lakers blew a 5-point lead with 1 minute to go and lost in overtime to the Milwaukee Bucks, but the headline was the face-off between coaches: Byron Scott and Jason Kidd.
Byron Scott coached the New Jersey Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 with Jason Kidd as their All-Star Point Guard. But shortly after the Nets 2003 Finals appearance Scott was fired during the season and all fingers point to Jason Kidd.
Supposedly, Kidd marched up to then Nets executive Rod Thorn‘s office and demanded that Scott be fired. There’s speculation whether this conversation ever happened, but it was brought up recently as the two coaches faced off.
When asked about Kidd, Scott said,
"“He was kind of known as being an a——.” – Bill Oram"
Kidd responded after the game by saying, “You [media] guys must be bored. … I wish I could give you guys something, but you guys are bored.”
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No one will really know unless sources outside of Scott and Kidd validate either side, but the way Kidd departed from the Brooklyn Nets last season, it’s hard to take Kidd’s side. Reports state that Kidd went to Nets ownership asking for more power and sidestepping General Manager Billy King. Who knows what really happened, but Kidd was allowed to pursue the Milwaukee Bucks coaching job, essentially breaking his contract and the Nets received the Bucks 2015 and 2019 second round picks for compensation.
Maybe it worked out best for both sides. Brooklyn hired Lionel Hollins and Milwaukee got Kidd at Larry Drew‘s expense.
In Kidd’s defense Scott is a hard-nosed, old school coach, yet star point guards such as Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving love him. Even Nick Young and Jeremy Lin have felt Scott’s wrath this season, but he does make an effort to eventually communicate with his players and seems to put out fires before they escalate.
It’s not the first time Kidd has left a team for “greener pastures” and it won’t probably be the last (just ask Mark Cuban). Kidd is doing a nice job with a Milwaukee Bucks team that wasn’t supposed to be in playoff contention and Scott is the first to admit that. Just don’t expect Scott and Kidd meeting for breakfast anytime soon, there’s no love lost here.