Jason Kidd suspended 2 games over DWI, will miss home opener

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd will be suspended for two games for pleading guilty for driving while ability impaired, the NBA announced Friday morning.

The suspension covers the first two games of the season, Oct. 30 in Cleveland and Nov. 1 in Brooklyn against the defending champion Heat.

Kidd’s first game on the bench will come Nov. 3 in Orlando, and his Barclays Center home debut is reset for Nov. 5.

The suspension was expected as was the length, based on past suspensions issued by the NBA for a similar offense. Other players and coaches, including Eric Musselman, Zach Randolph and Carmelo Anthony, have received two-game suspensions for driving while impaired or under the influence.

“The decision is consistent with what the league has done in the past and we look forward to Jason leading our team versus Orlando and the rest of the year,” general manager Billy King said in a statement.

Kidd’s guilty plea stemmed from a July 2012 incident in which he crashed his SUV into a telephone pole in The Hamptons.

“You could have killed yourself that night,” said Judge Andrea Schiavoni said at Kidd’s sentencing this summer at Southampton Town justice court. “You could have killed somebody else.”

Jason Kidd: Nets were too 'vanilla' last season

Jason Kidd sounded more like a Ben & Jerry's taste-tester than the Brooklyn Nets new head coach on Tuesday.

The first year coach set a goal yesterday to change the Nets' identity, from the bland tasting squad which fell flat last last season to a more flavorful blend of competitors.  Kidd understands that GM Billy King did most of the prep work already — acquiring the necessary ingredients to make a champion — on draft night with a blockbuster trade.

"I think the identity," Kidd said at the PNY Center. "It was just vanilla [last season] and I think you guys can see after the trade with [Kevin] Garnett and [Paul] Pierce that it's kind of changed. So, I think we're doing the right thing with changing the identity. It was just there was no flavor and no identity. So with that trade, that changes the whole game."

Kidd is confident, but nervous.

"I think I've always been nervous before every game," he said. "You ask any trainer, I've always taken Pepto just to settle my nerves, because basketball's always been something that you can never control. It's something that you just don't know how it's going to turn out, but once the ball is up in the air, your nerves tend to go away, you just respond and react.

"And so I am nervous, but the nice thing is that we do have some talented players who know how to play, who want to be coached and it's exciting. I think it's an exciting nervousness and I'm very excited about this opportunity."

The arrival of Garnett and Pierce, paired with other new additions like Jason Terry and Andrei Kirilenko, gives the Nets one of the NBA's top starting fives to go along with quality depth. As they get set to start training camp at Duke in six days, Kidd said one of his most pressing challenges is figuring out the different floor combinations he's hoping to use because the Nets easily can go two deep at every position.

He also has to concoct a plan for Garnett, whom Kidd previously said he wouldn't play in the second ends of back-to-backs, believing it's the best way to preserve the 37-year-old's legs and body so he'll be fresh and available for the postseason. Garnett rejected the idea.

Get more Pepto. Sounds like there's already too many cooks in Kidd's kitchen.

Jay Z selling Nets share to head coach Jason Kidd: Report

It sounds like Jay Z is taking this whole sports agent thing pretty seriously. The entrepreneurial rapper is selling his minority ownership in the Brookyn Nets to head coach Jason Kidd, sources told Page Six of the N.Y. Post.

The sources claim Kidd will take over Jay’s .067 percent (1/15th of a percent) stake in the team for about $500,000.

The move comes as Jay was forced to sell his Nets shares over a conflict of interest after he started a sports agency, Roc Nation, signing clients including Yankee Robinson Cano and NBA star Kevin Durant.

"Other owners want to give Jason a part ownership of the team, and urged Jay to sell his shares to him," said the source.

Goodbye Brooklyn.

Page Six said:

Amazingly, Jay was introduced to the team in 2003 by Drew Katz, the son of one of the Nets’ principal owners, after Kidd, then the Nets’ marquee point guard, suggested the music mogul buy the team.

According to reports, Jay helped design the team logos and choose the Nets’ stark black-and-white color scheme, and personally appealed to National Basketball Association officials to drop their objections to it.

The Times reported Jay’s influence stretched so far, he courted top players to join the team and even counseled execs on music to play during games.

"He is it,” Bruce Ratner, the Barclays Center developer, said in an interview. “He is us. He is how people are going to see that place."

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov bought 80 percent ownership of the team in 2009 and appeared on billboards around the city with Jay Z.

Meanwhile, Kidd, who signed on as Nets coach in June, added to an impressive lineup including Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Brook Lopez. 

Unlike Jay Z, the coach owning minority shares in the team would not be seen as a conflict of interest.

A rep for the Nets had no comment, and Kidd’s spokesman, Nets VP of public relations Gary Sussman, also declined to comment. Reps for Jay Z didn’t get back to Page Six.

Kidd pleads guilty to drunken driving charge, gets ripped by judge

New Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge, nearly a year after he smashed his Cadillac SUV into a utility pole on eastern Long Island.

The judge placed Kidd on interim probation but the stern Hamptons judge didn't let the rookie coach off easy.

Kidd got dressed down by Judge Andrea Schiavoni after his plea of guilty to a drunk driving crash that destroyed his SUV and a the light pole after a night of partying last summer.

"You could have killed yourself that night," said Schiavoni at the Southampton Town justice court. 

"You could have killed somebody else."

Dressed in a gray suit and accompanied by his wife, Kidd agreed to give two lectures about the dangers of drunk driving to a pair of unidentified Suffolk County high schools as part of his plea deal.

If he completes those duties by Sept. 30, Kidd will be allowed to have his current misdemeanor drunk driving charged knocked down to Driving While Ability Impaired -- a violation.

Kidd, who retired as an NBA player after last season, was recently hired to coach the Nets — the team he took to two NBA Finals as a player when the franchise played in New Jersey.

"Because of his status as a professional athlete Mr. Kidd is the perfect person to reinforce the important message we've been trying to send, which is don't drink and drive," Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said in a statement.

Police said Kidd crashed his SUV into a telephone pole in the Hamptons community of Water Mill on July 15, 2012. He was treated at a hospital for minor injuries.

Defense attorney Ed Burke Jr., said Kidd was returning from a charity function before his accident. A Southampton Town Police report noted the 10-time all-star and Olympic gold medalist was unsteady on his feet, smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot and glassy eyes.

The 18-year NBA veteran retired after playing last season the Knicks. He was hired as the Nets' new head coach two weeks later.

While playing with Phoenix in 2001, Kidd was arrested on a domestic violence charge, acknowledging he struck his former wife.

Jason Kidd gets first 1st technical as NBA coach

Jason Kidd has had many firsts during 21 seasons in the NBA but added another one to his career Sunday — this time as the Brooklyn Nets' new head coach.

Kidd received his first technical as an NBA coach at the team's first Summer League game while making his debut as the Nets bench leader.

Brooklyn's rookie coach got off the bench Sunday, walked too far across half court to challenge a foul call and was teed up with 2:23 left in the Nets' 76-67 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

"It happens," Kidd said of the technical. "I learned quickly where the coaching box is. I've seen some coaches on the other end of the floor, so I can't follow their lead."

Kidd, who had racked up 26 technical fouls as a player, still couldn't believe it.

"We were trying to foul a player and the referee missed it and it led to free throws," Kidd said. "So I tried to express to the referees that they missed what we were trying to do. It happens. They are not perfect, we are not perfect. So it's a lesson learned that I know I can't go past half-court."

The future Hall of Famer showed a relaxed demeanor during most of the game —  cheering on his players, giving quiet advice and listening to  his assistant coaches. The summer league is giving the former point guard a great opportunity to learn coaching from the bench instead of the floor.

"This is training ground for every one — officials, coaches, players," said the 40-year-old Kidd. "We're all trying to get better."

At times, it appeared to be coaching by committee.

"I will lean on my staff," Kidd said. "Every one of the coaches will bring something to the table."

Kidd, who came into the game with no head coaching experience after getting the job only a week after retiring as a player, didn't let the presence of other head coaches in the stands — including the world champion Miami Heat's Eric Spolestra — rattle his nerves.

"Didn't it look normal?" asked Kidd.

Not if you're used to seeing Kidd in a uniform for the past two decades.

Jason Kidd on Deron Williams: 'He's better than me'

Jason Kidd is considered one of the greatest point guards in NBA history but, as the new Brooklyn Nets head coach, the future Hall of Famer may have a knack for throwing assists to his players off the court as well.

Kidd, who led a group of no-name Nets to consecutive NBA Finals a decade ago, actually believes the Nets now have a better point guard in Deron Williams than his teams did with Kidd as the floor captain.

"He's better than me. I mean, he can shoot," said Kidd, who was the same age, 29, during the 2002 NBA Finals days as Williams is now. "He's a guy who can set the table, he can get to the basket, he can score. I don't look at him as me. Again, he's a little bit better than I am."

Kidd's humble opinion of himself might be a big ego boost for Williams — and boy, can the maligned Net use it.

Williams has seen more downs than ups since joining the Nets in 2011. He has struggled with injuries, weight gain and low expectations on a rebuilding roster in New Jersey. Last season, the first in Brooklyn,  he missed the All-Star game for the first time in four years.

But Williams benefitted from good health and a physical makeover following the All-Star break (he shed 15-to-20 pounds while changing his diet), returning to his Utah form for the greater part of two months.

And he has better supporting cast in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Brook Lopez.

Williams will still have to become a leader on a team now flush with with experienced NBA champions who bring high expectations with them.

"I want to (Williams) to be him," Kidd said Friday. "I want him to be the basketball player that we all know he can be. We're going to set lofty goals where as a coaching staff and teammates put him in a position to reach them."

While Williams is a better scorer than Kidd, he has a lot more to prove as a leader and all-around producer. That's what the Nets are hoping Kidd can bring out out of his floor leader.

Kidd said he'll allow Williams the freedom to call his own plays, as well as orchestrate his teammates in read-and-react situations.

"Just recognizing the situation," Kidd said. "Deron is a very gifted guard, so for me it's about mentally talking to him about different situations and get what he's thinking so we can both be on the same page."

Williams, who returned to his home in Utah for the summer, grew up in Dallas idolizing Kidd. Both have insisted their friendship won't get in the way of their new partnership.

"We're in a family," Kidd said. "My job is to put the guys in position to be successful. His job is to execute. We are friends. But I'm also friends with other players.

"I can't say I will favor or lean on whoever is playing the point because I have four other guys I have to pay attention to."

But Kidd knows — better than anyone — it starts with the PG.

J.R. Smith ready to sign four-year deal with Knicks: Report

J.R. Smith and the New York Knicks are hammering out a contract extension that will keep the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year with the team for another four years.

The deal could be completed by Thursday, reports The New York Daily News. Smith is expected to receive the “Average Player Salary Exception” which could amount to $24 million over four seasons.

According to the Daily News report,  the New York Knicks and Smith are finalizing a contract extension that will keep the shooting guard with the club until 2017.

Smith's signing assures the Knicks of having their top five players under contract next season — Smith, Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert, Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler. Also, according to a basketball site in Argentina, the Knicks have offered Pablo Prigioni a two-year contract extension.

A person who spoke to the 35-year-old free agent point guard on Wednesday told The News that Prigioni “hopes” a deal is completed “real soon.” Prigioni is a priority because Jason Kidd retired, leaving Felton as the team’s only point guard under contract.

The 27-year-old Smith averaged a career-best 18.1 points last season in 80 games, all as a reserve, and it became the Knicks’ focus this summer to re-sign him.

For months, Smith had said his desire was to return to the Knicks. The former New Jersey prep star also had two influential power brokers in his corner: Garden Chairman James Dolan and Anthony, who was also Smith’s teammate with the Denver Nuggets.

Smith’s best season, however, ended on a down note. The troubled star slumped in the playoffs, averaging 14.3 points and shooting 27% on three-pointers. The Knicks’ postseason took an ugly turn when Smith was suspended one game for elbowing then-Celtic Jason Terry at the end of the Game 3 of their first-round series. Although the Knicks went on to defeat Boston in six games and capture their first playoff series win in 13 years, they went 3-6 in their last nine playoff games starting with Game 4 against the Celtics.

Smith would be willing to sign elsewhere only if he received a lucrative contract that the Knicks, because of salary-cap restrictions, are unable to match. But the deal Smith would receive from the Knicks is comparable to what shooting guards are receiving this year. 

Nets looking to add openly-gay Collins to roster: Report

The Brooklyn Nets keep finding ways to keep their locker room interesting — and complicated. And the next potential Nets move might not be blockbusting but it would be trailblazing.

After announcing an NBA-rocking trade — to become official July 10 — that will bring seasoned veterans Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Barclays Center, a source confirmed Friday that the Nets' organization has discussed signing free-agent center Jason Collins, the first openly gay male basketball player.

The 34-year-old Collins, who revealed his sexuality in a Sports Illustrated article last spring, is no stranger to the Nets' organization. He was teammates with Nets coach Jason Kidd for seven seasons in New Jersey, where they both played under current Brooklyn assistant Lawrence Frank.

Although the Nets may not need another big man, Collins' "name was brought up," said a well-connected source.

Collins, who advanced to two finals with the Nets, has bounced around the league as a backup since leaving New Jersey. He played last season with Garnett and Pierce in Boston, but was released before joining the Wizards.

Although the Nets have interest in Collins, there isn't much room on the roster for another physical presence in the paint. Not only did the Nets draft Duke center Mason Plumlee on Thursday, their blockbuster trade evolved Friday morning so that they are keeping bruising forward Reggie Evans and dealing swingman MarShon Brooks to the Celtics, a source said.

Collins has not played since announcing he was gay in April, so the next time he steps on the court will be a front-page event. And for the Nets, who have been making headlines lately by hiring Kidd and completing the trade for Garnett and Pierce, it's a chance to represent a different kind of Brooklyn — which is home to a large gay and lesbian community.

"It's certainly better than Utah or other communities that are not as cosmopolitan," said sports marketing expert Marc Ganis, adding that such a move could help the Nets win over Brooklyn residents who remain angry about the way the Barclays Center was imposed on the neighborhood.

"It is a demonstration that the Nets are a socially progressive organization. To people who opposed it (the Barclays Center) it could be a relevant factor."