IN AUGUST OF 2021 Jason Kidd had been on the job as coach of the Dallas Mavericks for just over a month when he flew to Slovenia to meet with Luka Doncic, the 22-year old superstar who would determine his success or failure as a coach.
Kidd had been a superstar in his own right as a player and played alongside the greatest Maverick of them all, Dirk Nowitzki, when Dallas won an NBA championship in 2011. He guided a young Giannis Antetokounmpo as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and -- as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers -- he helped an aging LeBron James win a championship in 2020.