Money: Source of Kidd’s Rage?

by Marcel Mutoni

You might recall that Jason Kidd was quite upset with his team a couple of weeks ago. They were on a terrible slide, Kidd admitted to listening to big-haired bands from the 80s, and he sounded generally dejected.

After having been called out publicly by their captain, the Nets reeled off a bunch of wins, and Kidd was happy again. But was he really angry about the team’s play or was something else on his mind?

According to Dave D’Alessandro of the Star-Ledger, Jason Kidd had been denied a chance to discuss a possible contract extension, and as a result, he went off:

“Let’s face it, he considers himself the face of the franchise, and feels he should be rewarded as such,” one associate said. “And he’s still busting his butt, playing better than ever, and sees that they’re rewarding other guys. You can understand why the greatest player in franchise history believes he deserves to get what other guys are getting.”

Kidd, of course, is denying the whole thing.

Jason Kidd, 34, will make just under $20 million this season and his current deal with the Nets ends next year. Though he remains one of the great point guards in the League, with his advanced age, it’s easy to understand why the Nets organization would want to hold off any talks of a contract extension for the moment.