Jason Kidd Parents: Everything You Need To Know
He’s been hailed as one of the greatest NBA players of all time – but how did it start? Here’s all you need to know about Jason Kidd parents.
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Who Is Jason Kidd?
In case you’re not a huge fan of the NBA, are a fan but never heard the name Kidd, or maybe you’re just looking to learn more about sporting legends, here’s all you need to know about player and coach Jason Kidd!
While Jason Kidd is currently a top basketball coach, it wasn’t always that way. He started out, as many great coaches do, as a basketball player himself.
Not only did he have an exceptional adult sporting career, but his basketball prowess started way before he even attended high school.
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Kidd’s professional career knows no bounds. He earned his place as head coach for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and during his own basketball career, he played point guard for the NBA. As well as coaching the Dallas Mavericks, he also won an NBA championship as a player for the same team.
His accomplishments include being a ten-time NBA All-Star, a nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team Member, as well as a five-time All-NBA First Team Member.
His astounding career led him to being named one of the NBA’s greatest players of all time, too.
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Kidd’s Troubled Personal Life
As we know, a successful career doesn’t always mean success in every aspect of life. Although Jason has had relationships, marriage and children, it hasn’t always been rosy.
Kidd was married to his first wife, Joumana Kidd, back in 1997, and the pair have three children together. But in 2001, he was arrested for domestic abuse charges against her. He pleaded guilty to assaulting her. He then attended anger management classes as part of his penalty requirements.
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But this wasn’t the end of it. Even though everything began to look more positive, with Kidd deciding to continue anger management classes off his own steam, the pair later divorced. Kidd was the one who set the divorce into motion, claiming cruelty during their marriage, but his wife claimed different. She listed countless incidents of abuse from her husband against her.
The incident with his first wife seemed to even seep into his career, as many consider this the reason Jason Kidd was traded from the Suns to the Nets the same year.
Jason Kidd then married former model Porschla Coleman back in 2011, and the pair remain married to this day.
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Who Are Jason Kidd Parents? Kidd’s Early Life And Upbringing
Jason Kidd’s father, Steve, was African-American, and his mother, Anne, was Irish-American. His upbringing saw him raised by his parents in San Francisco, and he lived with them in Oakland.
Image Source: Sports Illustrated
Kidd is pictured here with his father, Steve, and his sister.
Jason was scouted for athletics at a very young age. He would be sought out for AAU teams, but would also hit the public courts in his home city to play during his down time.
Image Source: Sports Illustrated
Kidd is pictured here with his mother, Anne, and his then-girlfriend.
His High School Accolades
No doubt his parents Steve and Anne would be proud of all he achieved during high school, even at a young age and before his professional sporting career.
He attended St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in California, and was coached by a man who led him to victory in state championships as well as individual honors. He was the nation’s top high school sports player as well as named Player of the Year in USA Today.
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But Kidd Rejected A Number Of Top-Ranked Universities
Despite his obvious top-level talent, Kidd didn’t want to attend the top-ranked university programs of the time, such as at Ohio State University or the University of Kansas.
Instead, he chose to attend the University of California in Berkeley, a nearby institution that hadn’t won any conference titles in years.
But clearly, Jason’s choice of university did not hinder his amazingly successful sporting career.
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His College Career
Kidd enjoyed a successful sporting career in college, going from strength to strength. He earned national Freshman of the Year honours for his hard graft, and also set a record for most steals by a freshman! Kidd wasted no time in earning his place.
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He helped his school to set impressive sporting records, and it didn’t stop at being a freshman, either. As a sophomore, he went on to break his previous hard-won records. He eventually went on to be named a finalist for the Naismith Awards as well as the Wooden Awards, for college basketball’s top player!