Kidd: Ratner doesn't care about basketball.

[NJNetz]

Mavericks guard Jason Kidd isn't too surprised by the downfall of the Nets.

Kidd, who helped lift New Jersey to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances earlier this decade, will get the chance to help push the franchise to 0-18 on Wednesday night.

"It is an unfortunate situation, but that is funny how things happen," Kidd told the New York Daily News. "Why would it be me coming to play them on Wednesday and not K-Mart (Kenyon Martin) or Richard (Jefferson)? It's an awkward situation. We all helped to turn that franchise around. Now to see where it is at today and history and not the right kind of history, it's unfortunate."

Kidd says he knew the team would deteriorate once owner Bruce Ratner opted not to give Kenyon Martin a maximum contract in a money-saving move in 2004.

"I think you could see it developing when it started with K-Mart and Lucious (Harris) and Kerry (Kittles) and the pieces not being replaced," Kidd said.

"It's just one after another. It (the downfall) was something that was going to eventually happen. It reminded me of when I was with Dallas the first time (in the early '90s) and (H. Ross Perot Jr.) bought the team and it wasn't about basketball. It was about a real estate play. That is what happened with the Nets."

Source

I thought the original title on realgm was pretty misleading.

 

[CelticKing]

Wow Kidd giving them 18th loss? I hope Nets win. lol

It sucks though, I used to root for those teams when they played Lakers back to back, even though they had no chance. It was a fun team to watch, non stop action. And I agree letting Martin go was the start of the downfall.