Jason Kidd nearly became part of one of the NBA’s great dynasties, but loyalty kept him from making the move.
In 2003, the San Antonio Spurs came close to changing the shape of their future by pursuing Kidd, then widely viewed as the league’s best point guard. Instead, Kidd stayed with the Nets, and the Spurs kept moving forward with Tony Parker as their point guard.
Kidd explained the decision on the “All The Smoke” podcast, saying, “I'm in. The one thing was a hold up, it was a small thing, man I gotta sit here and watch you guys get the rings after just losing to you.
But that's just one game. We'll get past it.
“I was in… to be a Spur I was very very close.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 11, 2026
Jason Kidd recalls the time that he almost went to the San Antonio Spurs in 2003 😳
(via @allthesmokeprod) pic.twitter.com/pJa6fF7wzg
And we'll have opportunities to win more. But the loyalty of like, man we built something in Jersey.
I think we can get there,” Kidd said in an appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast.
He added, “But not knowing the business side of what was coming down, that they started trading K-Mart (Kenyon Martin) that following year. And so things fell apart fast. To be a Spur, I was very very close.”
The Spurs’ push for Kidd came during their 22-year run of consecutive playoff appearances from 1998 to 2019, a stretch that included five championships. Four of those title teams were built around Tim Duncan, Parker, and Manu Ginobili, all now in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Parker stayed put, and San Antonio went on to win three more championships after the Kidd chase, taking titles in 2005, 2007, and 2014.
Kidd eventually got his ring too, winning the 2011 title with the Dallas Mavericks after the Nets began rebuilding in 2008. He was close to becoming a Spur, but in the end, he found his championship elsewhere.
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