USA - This Kidd has plenty of influence
Team's oldest player is 44-0 with U.S. teams, and offers chemistry and leadership. Forward Richard Jefferson was asked what it would be like to play with an NBA point guard other than Jason Kidd. Jefferson, speaking before Kidd was traded from the New Jersey Nets to the Dallas Mavericks, said, “I don't want to find out.” The folks behind the U.S. senior men's national team that will compete at the Beijing Olympics between Aug.8-24 feel the same way. Kidd, undefeated with the United States at 44-0, knows how to bring guys together.
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Team's oldest player is 44-0 with U.S. teams, and offers chemistry and leadership.
Forward Richard Jefferson was asked what it would be like to play with an NBA point guard other than Jason Kidd.
Jefferson, speaking before Kidd was traded from the New Jersey Nets to the Dallas Mavericks, said, “I don't want to find out.”
The folks behind the U.S. senior men's national team that will compete at the Beijing Olympics between Aug.8-24 feel the same way.
Kidd, undefeated with the United States at 44-0, knows how to bring guys together.
The U.S. team needs great chemistry if it hopes to reclaim gold. Shaky chemistry contributed to a sixth-place finish at the 2002 world championships and third at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2006 world championships.
“One thing about leadership is you have to have the respect of everyone you're leading,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Jason had that right away.”
There's more at stake for the U.S. team – like proving basketball is still an American game – than when Kidd won gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Kidd will shoulder more responsibility, beginning with an opening-round game against China on Aug.10.
“I'm looking forward to it,” said Kidd, who at 35 is the oldest player on the U.S. team.
Kidd was in college at California when the Dream Team slashed and burned through Barcelona, Spain, to win Olympic gold in 1992. He first played for the United States on a junior team in 1993.
Since then, he has helped the senior team qualify for the 2000 Olympics in 1999, the 2004 Games in 2003 and 2008 in 2007.
Kidd chose not to play at the 2004 Olympics – “I thought we had it,” he said – or the 2006 world championships in Japan, when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade led the team to a bronze.
Kidd said he didn't skip it because he feared tiring himself out for the NBA season. He said he wonders what's the big deal.
“The hardest part, which I enjoy, is the challenge and competition of practices,” Kidd said. “There are all-stars at each position. Why not improve your game?”
Last summer, Kidd joined Kobe Bryant and James to win the 2007 FIBA Americas tournament as the United States qualified for Beijing.
“People talked about having Kobe and LeBron but you couldn't miss the calming effect (Kidd) had on that team,” said former NBA All-Star Mark Jackson.
The effort earned the Americans premature and inaccurate comparisons to the original Dream Team, but Kidd's game was the right adhesive in Las Vegas this month during team training.