NBA Legend Jason Kidd: ‘Continue to Dream and Don’t Be Afraid of Failure’

In case you haven’t heard yet, 2011 NBA Champion Jason Kidd is currently in Manila for this weekend’s NBA House Philippines 2026 festivities. Together with Kidd on this visit are the Sacramento Kings Dance Team, WNBA legend Lauren Jackson, and NBA Champion Tony Parker.

After previous stops in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the United States, and the UK, NBA House finally comes to the Philippines to celebrate basketball and the culture that comes with it. NBA House Philippines is a free immersive interactive fan experience happening in Space at One Ayala on Saturday and Sunday, August 29-30. Apart from appearances by NBA and WNBA personalities, fans can expect authentic NBA entertainment, basketball-themed activities, merch giveaways, exclusive product releases, and more this weekend.

“It’s been great. I’m really excited. I’ve never been here before so I’m happy to be here,” Kidd said. “I know here in the Philippines, basketball is a religion so I’m very happy to see the fans. I know there’s going to be a lot of energy this week.”

ALSO READ

Dylan Harper Cooks with Filipino Grit and Toughness to Get Buckets

The Most Influential NBA Trainer in the World Has Manila in His Sights

Kidd had a storied 19-season career in the NBA that saw him suit up for four different teams. After playing NCAA Division 1 basketball for the California Golden Bears, Kidd made himself available for the 1994 NBA Draft where he was selected second overall by the Dallas Mavericks. He would go on to share co-Rookie of the Year honors with Grant Hill at the end of their debut season. Kidd is a 10-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA First Team selection and a four-time NBA All-Defensive First Team awardee. Known for his amazing passing, Kidd also led the league in assists for five years.

Although he won his only championship with the Mavs, some of his most unforgettable highlights were when he was playing floor general for the Nets in the 2000’s.

“When I got traded to New Jersey, I was kind of excited because it was the first time I was going to be able to play in the East Coast,” Kidd shares. “In college and high school, you hear about the East Coast just feeling like they dominate the game so being from the West Coast, I had the opportunity to showcase my skill set. The Nets at the time were struggling a little bit so I felt this was a great challenge to bring that winning spirit and culture to the Nets and it didn’t take long. Our first two years, we went to the Finals. It was an incredible experience. I had great teammates. I had great coaches, ownership, and GMs. It was being at the right place at the right time.”

With Kidd orchestrating New Jersey’s backcourt, he made magic with teammates Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson and Kerry Kittles.

“I had a lot of fun doing that. Unfortunately, I fell short on winning a championship and we got swept by the Lakers. They looked really good. They had a guy named Kobe and they had another big guy named Shaq, I think,” he joked. “They were the better team but then the following year, to be able to go back and play San Antonio and running into some guy named Tim Duncan and I think Tony Parker was one of those guys.”

Despite having the Larry O’Brien trophy elude them all those years, Kidd can only look back on his days as a Net with fondness. “New Jersey was an incredible place. I think one of the best times of my life as a basketball player being able to play the game on the biggest stage.”

Having been a brilliant floor general, the transition to next becoming a tactician in the league was a no-brainer but nothing ever comes easy even for legends like Kidd.

“The hardest thing is to win,” he said. “tTwenty-nine other teams are trying to win so there are some things that are out of your control. Sometimes there are injuries and you have to deal with that. As a coach you’re always trying to get better, you learn from your experiences, you learn from winning, you learn from losing, but the ultimate goal is development and the second part of that is to win a championship. Both are extremely hard and there’s only one winner.”

Kidd’s first coaching job was with the Brooklyn Nets before being hired by the Milwaukee Bucks. He became an assistant coach with the Lakers for a couple years, where he won a championship in 2020 before being hired as head coach by the same team that drafted him.

“With the Dallas Mavericks, we had the opportunity against Boston but we came up short,” he said. “Understanding what a coach has to prepare for is a lot different from what a player might have to go through. As a coach you have to worry about 17 players, the coaching staff, the GM, and the owner that you have to answer to so I didn’t understand that early in my coaching career but I do now.”

As a coach in the NBA, Kidd has also had the unique opportunity to have mentored some generational talent who are well on their way to following Kidd to the Hall of Fame someday. One of them is Giannis Antetokounmpo during the Greek Freak’s early days in the league.

“I got to see him grow to the player that he is today,” Kidd said about Antetokounmpo. “It was really a blessing to be part of his life and his career not just on the floor but off the floor. We’re still friends and we still talk, not just about basketball, but also about life and being a father.”

Kidd said he continues to care for his former players, being the first to defend them when needed. Antetokounmpo just recently made the move to the Heat, ending a 13-year tenure with the Bucks, hoping to win another ring with another team.

“First and foremost, he did everything he could in Milwaukee,” Kidd said. “He gave everything he could so for him to have an opportunity to win in Miami with the culture, it starts with the ownership, but also when you talk about Spo, one of the best coaches in the NBA.”

Kidd also shared his fearless forecast on how the NBA landscape has changed after the off-season. “Looking at Giannis and Bam, it’s an incredible tandem, and then now that you add Klay to the mix, the East has gotten better and the Knicks will have their work cut out,” he said. “I think when you look at Miami, they could be the team that stands last in the Eastern Conference.”

Kidd offered some advice to both players and coaches who aspire to one day make it to the NBA. “Continue to dream,” he said. “Reach out to the different NBA teams and affiliates and volunteer if you can for Summer League to be able to see the game. Also, the world is built on relationships so having the opportunity to work in Summer League and come back here and use that knowledge wherever you coach locally.

“Continue working on your craft but continue to keep asking if you can come to the States and coach,” he added. “Sometimes it might be through not just Summer League but there’s also a lot of new college coaches coming to the NBA so there are different paths. Try to exhaust all those paths. Everyone’s going to say maybe say no at first but as long as you keep trying, at one point you’ll have that opportunity.”

Confidence is key and Kidd emphasized the importance of believing in yourself and being unselfish. “Don’t be afraid of failure. I’ve turned the ball over enough in my career but that didn’t stop me from trying to make the next pass,” he shares. “Just gain the confidence, set the table for your teammates, and always try to do the little things.”