Jason Kidd returns to the Barclays Center for the first time since being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday when his team plays the Brooklyn Nets. While Kidd is likely to get booed, Nets veterans Kevin Garnett and Deron Williams hope their former coach receives a kind reception.
Kidd's brief time in Brooklyn ended acrimoniously with the Nets trading him to Milwaukee, seemingly in response to him purportedly asking for more power within the organization. While Kidd has been mum about his departure from Brooklyn, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov took some shots at him earlier in the season, setting up what could be a tempestuous atmosphere at Barclays Wednesday night.
Despite the seemingly bad blood between Kidd, the front office and the Brooklyn fans, Garnett hopes his ex-coach is graciously received.
"Obviously, he is someone that you went hard for, gave everything that you had for," said Garnett, via ESPN. "It will be good to see him in the building. Hope people don't forget that, what he has done for Brooklyn and New Jersey and over the years. I think that sometimes we as fans forget and I think that's important to remember the good. Obviously, he is in another organization but don't forget the good that he's done for this organization and that is the message here."
Garnett, who waived his no-trade clause to be dealt to Brooklyn in part to play for Kidd, isn't the only player in the Nets locker room who spoke kindly of Kidd.
"Our time was good," Williams said. "It was up and down because of how the season went. The season was such a struggle early on but then once we got going it was great. Same time, I don't think he got a chance to coach us at full strength and Brook (Lopez) was missing and I was hurt and we had guys in and out. ...
"It is unfortunate how things ended up."
Brooklyn plays Milwaukee Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
