That's not necessarily true. Ratner wanted them for a real estate deal not because they were successful. All it did was probably cost him a little more.
When the Nets traded for him, I was deliriously happy and would have (and probably did) defended him as arguably the best team player in the league and one of the guys who works hardest to win games in the history of the NBA. By the time he left I couldn't wait to see the last of him, and it had little to do with his deteriorating skills. He became his own antithesis.
This is crazy... A couple years ago people couldn't get off this guy's jock. They were saying that he deserved to win MVP over Duncan (which I agree with) and they said that he was one of maybe 5 in the L that made those around him better. Now those same people have been drinking haterade and have nothing better to do than talk shit?
2008 is a long way away from 2002 As far as what Kidd can do, he was a selfish asshat last season and he burnt up a lot of the support he had because of those actions. Because he didn't immediately turn it back on when he joined the Mavs, I'm very curious to see what he does this season. Granted, I have very little faith in the Mavs because Carlisle and his assistants don't coach a Kidd-style offense.
Before the Kidd trade, the New Jersey Nets were the biggest joke in professional sports...period. Any suggestion otherwise denies reality. If you are a Net fan, you HAD to love Kidd. His personality was and is flawed. Most of the great NBA players have similar flaws. I tried to separate the personal Kidd from the professional Kidd, which in the end proved foolish. Still, the Nets got a great deal. It's too bad they couldn't keep Diop but he wasn't worth $31 million. Right now, the deal stands as: Jason Kidd and Antoine Wright for Devin Harris, Maurice Ager, Ryan Anderson (taken with the Mavs pick), Keyon Dooling (signed with the $3.3 million trade exception and paid with the $3 million in cash), the Mavs unprotected first round pick in 2010, and Keith Van Horn's contract. Malik Allen and DeSagana Diop are out of the picture. Buck Williams recently said he considers himself a TrailBlazer, NOT a Net. That should put to rest the silly proposition that he was the greatest Net ever. HE understood what a joke the Nets were. The choice is either Dr. J or Jason Kidd, ABA or NBA.
Personally, I still think that Dr. J was the best Net, but not only the best Net, but most important Net in franchise history. If it weren't for him, would the Nets even be in the NBA, or a forgotten ABA team like many others? I'm guessing the latter. I never knew Buck said that about the Nets. Damn.
I'm sure Erving considers himself a Sixer. That doesn't mean he's not the top Nets' player of all time. Buck is free to feel anyway he likes. That doesn't mean he wasn't the Nets' best NBA player. It's not about what a joke the Nets were (nor the betrayal Buck felt at the hands of Larry Brown), but the kind of player Buck was, and Buck was the hardest working man in the NBA when he was a Net. And, no kidding around, weren't you a Knicks fan when Buck played for the Nets? Allow us to have our own opinions, would you?
None. Is that supposed to make Kidd the better Net? I guess Aaron Williams and Jason Collins were better Nets than Buck also. I have no problem with posters feeling Kidd was the best NBA Net. I just don't share that opinion.
kidd was great for our team... he got us devin and he gave us some excitin playoffs in CAA... u know who should love kidd? kenyon martin because he got $90+ million contract because of what he did with kidd... same with mikki moore!!!
And the results of every game that Buck Williams ever played were that he left it ALL on the floor. Every game. I want those results every game from Vince. I want Vince out there giving everything every night. I know that Nets are going to suck this year, as did many of Buck's Nets teams. But the results I want is Vince doing everything in his power to win games for the Nets. Are you understanding me?
