Jason Kidd has always had a deep love for sports - not just basketball, where he built a Hall of Fame career, but baseball, too. Long before he was orchestrating offenses on the hardwood, Kidd was a multi-sport athlete growing up in the Bay Area, with a particular fondness for America’s pastime. And even though his professional path took him to the NBA, his passion for baseball never really left.
Now, as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, Kidd is circling back to that early love with a new initiative aimed at shaping the next generation of athletes - not on the court, but on the diamond.
Kidd is launching JK Select Baseball, a youth development program under the umbrella of his foundation. Think of it as the baseball equivalent of an elite AAU team - a model that Kidd already knows well.
His JK Select Girls Basketball program has been a major success, with several players earning Division I scholarships. Now, he’s bringing that same structure, mentorship, and competitive edge to baseball.
In a recent appearance on MLB Network, Kidd spoke about the project with the kind of enthusiasm you’d expect from someone who’s been waiting a long time to reconnect with the game.
“We’re really excited about this opportunity to invest in youth sports,” Kidd said. “We all grew up playing sports.
For me, in the Bay Area, I loved baseball. . . for me, baseball runs back to when I was CYO in high school. This is a great opportunity for my foundation to invest, not in bats or gloves, but hopefully leaders for our future.”
That last line says a lot about Kidd’s approach. This isn’t just about building better players - it’s about building better people. He’s not looking to churn out pros; he’s looking to create an environment where young athletes can grow, compete, and learn the kinds of life lessons that sports are uniquely positioned to teach.
Kidd also reflected on his own journey and how close he came to pursuing baseball more seriously. Coming out of high school, he chose to attend Cal with the hope of playing both basketball and baseball. But he was ultimately advised by those around him in the basketball world to focus solely on hoops - advice he took, and clearly, it paid off.
The basketball résumé speaks for itself: NBA champion, 10-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA First Team selection, four-time All-Defensive First Team honoree, Rookie of the Year in 1995, and now a Hall of Famer. His jersey hangs in the rafters for the Brooklyn Nets, and he added a championship ring as an assistant coach with the Lakers in 2020. On the international stage, he’s got two Olympic gold medals and three FIBA Americas golds to his name.
But even with all that hardware and history, Kidd hasn’t forgotten where it all started - not just in gyms, but on baseball fields, too. With JK Select Baseball, he’s creating a new lane for young athletes to chase their dreams, just like he did. And if his track record in basketball development is any indication, this new venture could be a game-changer for youth baseball.