Jason Kidd doesn’t get noticed much.
Sure, he’s an Olympian and all-NBA first-teamer. But he doesn’t get offers to do commercials or endorsements and isn’t known much outside Phoenix, where he plays.
“I don’t jump high,” said Kidd. “I’m not a guy who dunks. I’m a guy who maybe doesn’t shoot the ball extremely well consistently. I just try to do the small things to help the team win.”
That is why Kidd, a seven-year pro from California, is the Tribune’s choice as the player who will do the most to try to win a game for his team. It’s not a category the NBA recognizes with awards, and it doesn’t earn a player time on the highlight shows. It’s a valuable trait, but not one that necessarily gets a player votes for the Most Valuable Player Award.
But these players are the ones teammates and coaches appreciate most. Perhaps if the players, rather than the media, voted for MVP, the Jason Kidds, the Eric Snows and the Charles Oakleys would get more recognition. They are the unsung heroes of the NBA–excellent players who are not widely recognized, who measure their statistics in victories.
First among them has to be Kidd, who has three of the NBA’s first triple-doubles this season and is averaging close to a triple-double, something no one besides Oscar Robertson has accomplished in NBA history.
The 6-foot-4-inch guard is averaging 17.2 points, 10.6 assists, 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 steals, the only player ranked among the NBA leaders in all four statistical categories. Kidd certainly is the reason the Suns have been one of the early surprise teams, challenging for the lead in the Western Conference despite injuries to starters Tom Gugliotta and Anfernee Hardaway.
“Jason is a legitimate triple-double threat every game,” Suns coach Scott Skiles said. “He may not get 25 points, so he’s not a household name. He doesn’t say outlandish things. He doesn’t have a body full of tattoos. He doesn’t get into it with the referees. He rarely gets a technical foul. He doesn’t talk trash to his opponents. He’s not thumping his chest when he makes a great play.
“We’ve turned into a society that glorifies all the stuff that should be scorned. When someone does that stuff, we should be saying, `What are you doing?’ Guys like Jason should be glorified, but it’s almost exactly the opposite.
“It has become a league where a guy dunks the ball and he has to break into a dance. That’s a big reason why a lot of fans are turned off. The league should stop marketing that kind of behavior and start marketing what you really want in this league: professional basketball players who care about the team and the game, not themselves.”
Near the top of that list would be the 76ers’ Snow, the other guard who most exemplifies the complete will to win. It was no surprise that when Snow went out with an injured ankle in the conference semifinals last spring, Philadelphia had no chance against Indiana.
The 6-3 Snow was Milwaukee’s second-round pick in 1995 and immediately was traded to Seattle. The Sonics dealt the Michigan State alumnus to the 76ers for a second-round pick in 1998. When coach Larry Brown made Snow his starting point guard and moved Allen Iverson to shooting guard, the 76ers began to develop into the team that is the class of the East this season.
A career 43 percent shooter who averaged barely above five points in his career, Snow is second on the team to Iverson at 15.5 per game this season, shooting 52 percent. He won the NBA’s sportsmanship award last season and is truly the guts of his team, offsetting the inconsistencies of Iverson.
In ESPN Classic parlance, these are old-school players, guys who play hard and sacrifice in the best interests of the team. Few typify that more that Toronto’s Oakley. The former Bull and Knick will be 37 next month, yet he is having one of his best seasons. He’s second on the Raptors in rebounding and assists and always the unofficial league leader in floor burns.
Oakley’s polar opposite in terms of style is Kevin Garnett, the wondrous forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Garnett is a modern player in talk, dress and attitude, though not in the way he plays. Garnett, averaging 25 points and 11 rebounds, does it all for his team. He defends the toughest players, takes the big shots and never quits hustling. He is an inspiration because as the highest-paid player in the NBA, he doesn’t have to do all that.
It’s sort of an honorary designation because he isn’t playing this season, but it would be impossible to leave Alonzo Mourning off the whatever-it-takes first team. He’s also among those who would make any sacrifice for his team. In earlier years, teams took advantage of Mourning’s aggressiveness to upset him and get him out of position. But as Mourning matured, he became the player his teammates could count on for whatever they needed.
And not far behind are Karl Malone, John Stockton, Antonio Davis, Reggie Miller and Bo Outlaw.
“My biggest thrill is going out and showing that you don’t have to score to be successful in basketball,” Kidd said. “I just try to do everything as best as I can. Sometimes that gets you overlooked a little. But the biggest challenge always is to win.”
THE `ALL-HEART’ STARTING FIVE
Tribune Pro Basketball Writer Sam Smith picks the 10 NBA players who will do anything to try to win the game for their team. They are the closest the NBA has to “old school” players — guys who value floor burns more than slam dunks:
JASON KIDD, GUARD, SUNS
The closest player in this era to Oscar Robertson, though not the scorer. Will pass, rebound, defend, shoot, whatever the team needs. He is today’s Mr. Triple-Double.
ERIC SNOW, GUARD, 76ERS
Allen Iverson is their biggest name, but Snow is their heart. Turned himself into a starter through hard work and never forgets what got him there.
KEVIN GARNETT, FORWARD, TIMBERWOLVES
The trash talking fools some into believing he’s another of the today’s spoiled kids. But the money didn’t change him; he has carried his team on his back as much as any NBA player.
CHARLES OAKLEY, FORWARD, RAPTORS
Has no business getting a triple double, but he has one this season. Still can’t jump over a piece of paper, but no one wants to play against him.
ALONZO MOURNING, CENTER, HEAT
Not playing this season because of a kidney ailment, but no one plays with the frenzy he does, especially on defense.
THE SECOND TEAM
Reggie Miller, Pacers; John Stockton, Jazz; Karl Malone, Jazz; Bo Outlaw, Magic, Antonio Davis, Raptors.
