JASON KIDD
 
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Jason Kidd is one of the league's premier point guards, and probably
the best passer the NBA has seen since Magic Johnson. Born and raised in
Oakland, California, Jason was a high school basketball phenom who was
drawing crowds of up to 12,000 for home games at Golden State auditorium.
He played college ball for coach Todd Bozeman at the University of
California, where he won 1993 PAC-10 Rookie of the Year honours and took the
Golden Bears to the second round of the NCAA tournament in his freshman
year.
After his sophomore year, Jason declared himself eligible for the 1994 NBA draft where he was selected second overall by the Dallas Mavericks. At the time, the Mavs were an up and coming young team with a host of young talent including former fourth overall draft picks, Jim Jackson (Ohio State '92) and Jamal Masburn (Kentucky '93). After quietly achieving a spectacular season in the shadow of fellow rookie sensation Grant Hill of the Detroit Pistons, Jason surprised even himself by being named Co-Rookie of the Year alongside Hill at the end of the 94-95 season. The Dallas Mavericks continued to deteriorate under the slow-down style of their new head coach Jim Cleamons, and on December 26, 1996 Jason Kidd was traded to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal that signalled the end of a dream for basketball fans in Big D. In return for the premier point guard, the Suns shipped talented 2nd year swingman Michael Finley, savvy point guard Sam Cassel, and veteran forward A.C. Green. Fans and insiders remain divided as to which team came out ahead in the swap, but many feel that Kidd's superior talent and superstar status makes the trade a steal on the part of the Suns.
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