Monday's firing of Jason Kidd, three-and-a-half seasons into his tenure as Milwaukee's seemingly up-and-coming coach, took many NBA observers by surprise.
Can't say I was one of the surprised, though. Not because I doubt 44-year-old Kidd's coaching abilities or basketball acumen (no one would ever question that). It's because of his track record as an NBA player and coach, extending back two decades.
I met Kidd shortly before the Mavericks selected him No. 2 overall in the 1992 draft. Dallas traded him to Phoenix in December 1996. By the time he returned to Dallas, in a 2008 trade with New Jersey, a clear pattern had set in.