Jason Kiddâs name may be in the Hall of Fame, but oddly enough, his game is still underrated by many fans. Why? Because Kidd wasnât flashy in the way todayâs stars are. He wasnât dropping 40 points every night or dominating highlight reels with monster dunks. What he brought to the court was something rarerâpure basketball intelligence. And if youâve ever watched his career highlights, especially the deep cuts, youâll realize how truly brilliant he was.
Kidd was the definition of a pass-first point guard. He was a floor general, a player who made his teammates better every time he touched the ball. You can even see this in the 2008 Olympics, where he was surrounded by scorers but still managed to leave a lasting impact. While others were hunting for buckets, Kidd was busy setting them up, often passing up his own open layups to feed someone else. That kind of selfless basketball is almost extinct in todayâs game.
But donât make the mistake of thinking Kidd was just a âsafeâ passer or a conservative player. His game was creative and bold. He could thread a pass through the tightest window, throw a no-look bounce pass on the fast break, or toss a lob from half court. His speed and vision made him dangerous from baseline to baseline. You didnât just have to watch the ballâyou had to watch everything, because Kidd saw everything.
And thatâs the thing that separates Kidd from most other guardsâcourt awareness. He had it in the same way legends like Bob Cousy, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird had it. Jason Kidd could see the floor like a chessboard and play three moves ahead. He could hit a cutter who hadnât even looked for the ball yet. He could throw a pass before a player realized he was open. He anticipated the game, not just reacted to it.
Even in his later years, Kidd evolved. He developed a reliable three-point shot and became a key piece in the Dallas Mavericksâ 2011 championship run, proving that basketball IQ can outlast athleticism.
If youâve never truly sat down and appreciated the finer points of Kiddâs game, now is the time. His highlights arenât just entertainingâtheyâre educational. Watch how he manipulates defenders with his eyes, how he positions his body to open lanes, and how he directs the flow of play like an orchestra conductor.
Jason Kidd wasnât just a point guardâhe was a basketball philosopher. His highlights remind us that greatness isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a subtle bounce pass, a perfectly timed outlet, or a quiet, commanding presence that makes everyone around him better.
