Cleveland Cavaliers star guard Kyrie Irving doesn't want to speculate on the future and possible pairing with LeBron James, but when it comes to the Brooklyn Nets hiring of Jason Kidd as their new head coach, he has much to discuss, according to the New York Post.
"He's a tremendous leader. Obviously, Brooklyn sees something in him especially from a leadership standpoint," Irving said of Kidd going from player to coach after 10 days of retirement. "He's coming straight off the court, but I feel the last few years he was definitely a coach out there on the court. The transition, I think, will be easy for him. I'm looking forward to see how he does."
The West Orange native said it's very rare to become an NBA head coach without being an assistant first, but says he's sure Kidd has what it takes to be a success.
"His IQ. Just watching the way he plays the game. Not many people have that niche and that feel for the game. Watching him play was a pleasure," Irving said. "He's not the first player to come out and become a coach. ... He's definitely opening doors for players just now retiring. Not a lot of people retire and all of a sudden become a head coach, but he's definitely setting a good trend."
Kidd signed a three-year deal after convincing Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov that he was ready to jump directly into the coaching chair on an NBA bench despite not having had prior coaching experiences.
"Jason Kidd has a long and legendary history with the Nets and with the city of New York," Prokhorov said. "He has the fire in the belly we need, and has achieved as a player everything the Brooklyn Nets are striving to achieve. We believe he will lead us there. Welcome home, Jason."
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