Following the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA Championship, a new book entitled Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP by Mirin Fader has been released. The book, which was completed with the help of hundreds of interviews with former and current players and coaches, details Giannis Antetokounmpo’s rise from poverty in the streets of Athens to becoming one of the best players in the NBA. In the book, though, are some disturbing stories about former Bucks’ head coach Jason Kidd’s treatment of the players on his team.
He Made the Players Cancel Christmas Plans as Punishment for a Loss
I read the new Giannis biography that is coming out tomorrow. My biggest takeaway is that Jason Kidd should not be be allowed to be around other people let alone coach an NBA team. The worst story is his response to a team loss on the day before Christmas Eve. pic.twitter.com/SYdwfX3t9t
— Dr. Elliot Kupferberg's Water Bottle (@FakeTJHawke) August 9, 2021
According to this passage, Jason Kidd was upset with his team’s performance in a game that took place on December 23, the day before Christmas Eve. At the time, the Bucks were not one of the high profile teams in the NBA, and were not scheduled to play on Christmas. As a result, the players were looking forward to a few days off with their families to celebrate the Holidays.
That did not matter to Coach Kidd. He told the players they were paid to do a job, and they were to report to practice tomorrow. Some players had to cancel flights with their families in order to make it to practice.
What was even more horrifying was Kidd’s treatment of Larry Sanders. Kidd verbally berated Sanders, cursing him, tearing him down. However, that was nothing compared to what he did to Sanders later.
Practice Became Physically Dangerous
Said practice became genuinely dangerous for Larry Sanders. pic.twitter.com/zueQQ2Ie82
— Dr. Elliot Kupferberg's Water Bottle (@FakeTJHawke) August 9, 2021
In this passage, a practice in which Kidd forced the players to run in a pool was detailed. This does not seem all that dangerous, but the fact is that not all the players knew how to swim. Kidd so abused Larry Sanders, that Sanders had a full-body convulsion. In order to get the help he needed, he had to lie to Coach Kidd and say he was going to the bathroom. Instead, he went to the hospital and checked himself in.
Kidd Benched Giannis to Prove He Was in Charge
One of the less dangerous but nonetheless unhinged parts (to me at least) was the time Kidd called out Giannis in front of the team for a mistake, was proven wrong, and then sat Giannis anyway. pic.twitter.com/cdl75i0DN2
— Dr. Elliot Kupferberg's Water Bottle (@FakeTJHawke) August 9, 2021
In one game, Kidd blamed a defensive breakdown on a mistake that he believed Giannis had made. Giannis was never disrespectful to Kidd, but stood firm that he was not the player that made the mistake. During halftime, Kidd pulled up the video of the play and told Giannis to prove that it was not him. Sure enough, Giannis was not the player guilty of the mistake. Regardless of being proven wrong, Kidd benched Giannis for the remainder of the game.
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