Kidd: Spilled drink was about ‘trying to win’
In this photo taken on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd, center right, watches as attendants clean up a spilled drink beside the Nets bench in the second half of an NBA basketball game at the Barclays Center in New York. The Lakers defeated the Nets 99-94. The NBA fined the Brooklyn Nets coach on Thursday, saying he intentionally spilled his drink on the court as an unusual stall tactic. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
HOUSTON — Jason Kidd said he was just “trying to win” when he intentionally spilled a drink on the court, a stunt that cost him $50,000.
The Brooklyn Nets coach was fined on Thursday, with the NBA saying he intentionally spilled his drink as a stall tactic.
He tried to avoid talking about it Friday, but when pressed, he relented.
“Paul (Pierce) got a great look, but the league fined me for something that I probably shouldn’t have done,” he said. “We’ll move on.”
Kidd bumped into Brooklyn reserve Tyshawn Taylor with 8.3 seconds left on Wednesday against the Lakers, causing his drink to spill. A video of the play showed Kidd seeming to ask Taylor to “hit me” as the guard walked toward the bench.
The Nets had time to draw up a play while the floor was being cleaned after the spill but still lost 99-94.
Kidd was asked if he regretted the unusual move and why he decided to go with it.
“It’s about trying to win and those guys in that locker room, and I tried to put those guys in a position to get a basket, a good look and we did,” he said.
He was also questioned on where he came up with the ploy.
“Um, just listening to other coaches or other owners talk about coaches and what they’ve done,” he said.
Houston coach Kevin McHale offered a one word answer when he was asked for his opinion on the move before Friday night’s game against the Nets.
“Expensive,” he said with a smile.
When Kidd was told of the comment, he, too, smiled.
“Yes, it was,” he said and shook his head.
Kidd, who is in his first year as a coach, was suspended for the first two games of the season after pleading guilty in a drunken driving case.
The Nets are off to a 4-11 start entering Friday’s game.
