NBA: 5 franchise players who won a championship with the wrong team

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Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks)

Jason Kidd ranks second in assists and steals in NBA history. The 10-time NBA All-Star divided the majority of his career between the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, and New Jersey Nets. There is no doubt he earned his championship with the Mavericks, but rather, he missed two hard fought chances to lead a struggling franchise to unaccustomed glory.

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Kidd’s affiliation with the Mavericks dates back to the 1994 NBA Draft, where he was selected No. 2 overall by the organization. He won Co-Rookie of the Year and started in the 1996 NBA All-Star game, but the Mavericks failed to make the playoffs with it’s young core. Problems with management provoked the decision to trade Kidd to the Phoenix Suns.

During his time with the Suns, Kidd continued showing promise as a player. The team made the playoffs from 1996 to 2001 with Kidd, but were always defeated in the first round.

The satisfying championship moment that never happened was during Kidd’s tenure with the New Jersey Nets.

During his first season in 2002 with the Nets, they had went from a previous record of 26-56 to 52-30, the best record in the Eastern Conference. The season included a trip to the NBA Finals and Kidd finishing as runner up for league MVP. He had changed a hopeless franchise into serious competitors and became the most valuable player for the Nets, all in one year.

New Jersey’s first ever Finals appearance ended in disappointment, swept by the reigning champs, the Los Angeles Lakers. Regardless, Kidd was the best player the Nets ever had since the ABA-NBA merger.

The next season, Kidd would once again bring his team to the NBA Finals. That season, he averaged a career high 18.7 points and led the league in assists. Ultimately, the Nets would lose again in the Finals, this time to the San Antonio Spurs, but in a much more competitive series.

In 2008, Kidd would end up traded back to the Dallas Mavericks, the team that introduced him to the league. Solid teamwork brought the Mavericks their first championship in 2011, against the LeBron James led Heat.

In hindsight, a championship in New Jersey would have immortalized Kidd in NBA history and created a great Cinderella moment for the Nets. They are also the only team that retired Kidd’s number. Success in Dallas was challenging, but it was Dirk Nowitzki who was the captain. In New Jersey, Kidd could have created something special on his own.