Jason Kidd (shown above) is in his first year as coach of the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. Last week, while playing my favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers, he told a player to "Hit Me" while walking toward the bench, and knocked a glass of cola out of his hand. It was a close game, and the Nets were out of time outs. So, in an effort to try and draw up a play for his team to execute on their last possession Kidd pulled this stunt to gain some time while the mess was cleaned up.
Here's my thought. Does it really matter if it's the NBA? Sure, we live in the high school world around here, where we go out to win, but we also work to develop character with our athletes. Yes, those guys in the NBA make more on a night of work than many of us make in a year of work, but does that mean integrity is not important? I don't think so. Is honesty, and doing the right thing, excused because you work in the highest level of basketball in the world? I don't think so. In fact, I don't think we're ever excused from being doing the right thing no matter what line of work we're in, or what we're doing.
The really sad part? Kidd denied the fact that he did it after the game. Only after the NBA fined him $50,000 for the stunt did he come back and admit to it. His reasoning? He was "trying to win".
When asked where he came up with the idea, he said, he had listened to other coaches and owners talk about stuff like that. Here's the other issue. We're all responsible for our own actions. If someone has done something that lacked integrity, and maybe even gotten away with it, does that mean that it's right? Absolutely not. We're responsible for what we do. Take responsibility Mr. Kidd. You owned that stupid stunt.
What's the point? I caution everyone, coaches, players, parents, fans......we don't need to pattern what we do after people that don't want to play by the rules, or make up things to give them advantage. Play, and live, with integrity and do the right thing. You'll be setting a much better example than a coach in the NBA.
#wildcatpride
