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No Regrets, Kidd Taking It All In Stride

Published

11 years ago

February 25, 2014

Oakland, CA – The Brooklyn Nets made a historic move by signing the first openly gay player in the NBA. However, Jason Collins is no new kid on the block, he’s been in the league ten plus years. He played along side his new head coach, Jason Kidd who was his former teammate with the New Jersey Nets from 2001-2008.

Collins signed a 10-day contract after taking almost a year off with free agency after publicly announcing he was gay once the 2012-2013 season concluded. The Nets are now one step closer to moving up in the Eastern Conference Standings. Kidd turned things around just in time to put his team in a good position for a playoff run.

“I think it’s important that anybody who has the capabilities and skill level [gets] a chance to [do] something he’s great at,” said Kevin Garnett. “I think it would be bias, and in a sense, racist, if you [were] to keep that opportunity from a person.”

“He’s a basketball player, a great guy and he can help any team in this league,” Kidd said days prior to signing Collins.”

Kidd’s first year as a head coach has certainly been tumultuous. The first half of the season, his team started off with a 5-12 record in the month of November. His top assistant, Lawrence Frank was fired and then… There was the infamous spilled drink on the court that led to a $50,000 fine from the league offices in New York.

Leaving a lasting impression without team wins was not his vision at all. But that’s now in the past, Brooklyn went 10-3 in the month of January and that earned Kidd Coach of the Month honors in the Eastern Conference. The Nets currently hold the sixth spot in the East after a horrendous start to the season.

“The guys are playing well, they’re playing hard, we’re getting stops and that’s been the biggest turnaround. It’s almost like it’s a new group,” Kidd said.

One week into the second half of the season the Nets made some moves to beef up their backcourt by trading Jason Terry and Reggie Evans for Marcus Thornton with the Sacramento Kings. And just hours before they played the Los Angeles Lakers this past Sunday, they signed Collins who was embraced by the entire team.

“Ownership and management are always trying to make the team better and I’m just here to coach the guys,” he explained.

Kidd joins a rare list of players who have jumped from the bench to being a head coach. There’s no doubt that Kidd is a Hall of Fame inductee as a player but what accomplishments can he make as a coach? Thus far he’s overshadowed many of the mistakes and obstacles he’s faced early on.

His presence on the sideline gave his players more confidence to playing better defense and all around basketball. Kidd no longer sits in disbelief, scratches his head with bewilderment or resembles that inexperienced coach back in October. The 10-time All-Star finally found a way for his team to see success right around the corner. Not such a difficult task since the former point guard directed the court for almost a decade during his playing days.

“I’m just trying to keep guys in position to be successful,” said Kidd. “You always want to learn from your mistakes. I wouldn’t change anything this year. It’s been a process with a new coaching staff and players. With that being said, it’s still going to take some time to get it right.”

Almost two months away from the season ending, Kidd will possibly enter the playoffs for the first time as a head coach. He’ll then embark on new challenges but before that happens there’s a lot of basketball to be played. Brooklyn’s added some depth to their roster just to further their chances for a postseason run.

Kidd will continue to strive at being a better coach both on and off the court. He harbors no rue in regards to the disastrous start of the season. The only goal now is to make the playoffs and win the NBA Championship. Maybe somewhere down the road Kidd will look into joining the coaching staff for the 2016 Olympics.

“I’m always looking to be better, for now I’ll just look forward to learning more each day and help this team be the best they can be,” said Kidd.

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Oakland Post: Week of January 8 – 14, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of January 8 – 14, 2025

Published

4 days ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Supreme Court Decision Confirms Convicted Felon Will Assume Presidency

NNPA NEWSWIRE — In a 5-4 ruling, the court stated that Trump’s concerns could “be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal” and emphasized that the burden of sentencing was “relatively insubstantial” given that Trump will not face prison time. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices in the majority, with four conservative justices dissenting.

Published

5 days ago

January 10, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s emergency request to block criminal proceedings in his New York hush money case, ensuring that a sentencing hearing will proceed as scheduled on Friday. The decision makes it official that, on January 20, for the first time in its history, the United States will inaugurate a convicted felon as its president.

In a 5-4 ruling, the court stated that Trump’s concerns could “be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal” and emphasized that the burden of sentencing was “relatively insubstantial” given that Trump will not face prison time. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices in the majority, with four conservative justices dissenting.

Trump was convicted in May for falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argued that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction to intervene in a state criminal case, particularly before all appeals in state courts were exhausted.

Trump’s legal team claimed the sentencing process would interfere with his transition to power and argued that evidence introduced during the trial included official actions protected under the Supreme Court’s prior ruling granting former presidents immunity for official conduct. Merchan, the New York judge who presided over the trial, ruled in December that the evidence presented was unrelated to Trump’s duties as president.

Prosecutors dismissed Trump’s objections, stating that the sentencing would take less than an hour and could be attended virtually. They said the public interest in proceeding to sentencing outweighed the President-elect’s claims of undue burden.

Justice Samuel Alito, one of the four dissenting justices, confirmed speaking to Trump by phone on Wednesday. Alito insisted the conversation did not involve the case, though the call drew criticism given his previous refusals to recuse himself from politically sensitive matters.

The sentencing hearing is set for Friday at 9:30 a.m. in Manhattan. As the nation moves closer to an unprecedented inauguration, questions about the implications of a convicted felon assuming the presidency remain.

“No one is above the law,” Bragg said.

Stacy M. Brown

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Barbara Lee Launches Campaign for Mayor of Oakland

“At this critical moment, we must not be a city divided, but a community united,” she Lee. “If elected I will bring my hands-on leadership, new ideas and decades of experience in identifying billions in resources for our great city, so all residents and businesses are stronger and safer and our community has optimism and confidence in Oakland’s future.”

Published

7 days ago

January 8, 2025

Oakland Post

By Post Staff

Barbara Lee on Wednesday morning formally announced her candidacy for Mayor in Oakland’s April 15 special election.

“Time and time again, Oaklanders have faced our toughest obstacles by uniting to meet our challenges,” said Lee.

“At this critical moment, we must not be a city divided but a community united,” she said. “If elected, I will bring my hands-on leadership, new ideas, and decades of experience in identifying billions in resources for our great city so all residents and businesses are stronger and safer and our community has optimism and confidence in Oakland’s future.”

“As Mayor, I’ll address our homelessness crisis, prioritize comprehensive public safety and mental health services, and lead with fiscal responsibility to deliver the core City services residents and business owners deserve. Let’s do this – together.”

“I’ve never shied away from a challenge,” said Lee. “I’m always ready to fight for Oakland.”

Watch her campaign video here, which is online at BarbaraLee4Oakland.com