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<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Joumana Kidd says husband did not make demands
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ESPN.com news services
It appears that reported demands made by Jason Kidd are a surprise to him as well.
Kidd's wife, Joumana, said her husband never demanded that the New Jersey Nets fire coach Byron Scott as a means of preventing his free-agent defection to the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.
In a phone conversation with ESPN the Magazine's Ric Bucher, Joumana Kidd denied the reports that her husband delivered his request during a Tuesday night meeting with his agent, team owners and Nets president Rod Thorn.
She went on to say that the Nets would support her husband in that Kidd never made such a demand.
But Thorn issued a statement Thursday, saying he would keep his conversation with Kidd private.
"My policy since I became the President of the New Jersey Nets has been that all aspects of any free agent negotiations remain confidential, and that I will not make any specific comments until those negotiations have been concluded," the statement said. "In keeping with this policy as it pertains to the current Jason Kidd free agency negotiations, I will not be making any further comments until Jason makes his final decision."
According to a report in Thursday's New York Post, several league sources said Kidd would only return to the Nets if Scott was fired. The newspaper also says Kidd demanded that the team upgrade its talent.
Kidd and Thorn could not be reached for comment by the Post.
Agent Brian McInerney, who has represented Scott since his playing days as a Laker, told the Post that he spoke with Kidd's agent, Jeff Schwartz, after learning of the player's demands.
"I [talk] to Jeff Schwartz frequently and we both believe that whatever is decided should be decided in a professional manner and not in a public debate," McInerney told the newspaper Wednesday night. "I doubt the validity of this meeting without an official comment from Rod Thorn.
"These releases harm the franchise, harm the players, harm players' families. Everything should only be released through Rod Thorn."
According to one of the tabloid's sources, Kidd told ownership that his complaint stems from Scott's in-game coaching. After the Nets lost the NBA Finals in six games -- Scott was criticized for his fourth-quarter adjustments -- sources told the Post that Kidd told New Jersey's brass his son "T.J. could have coached a better quarter."
Scott wasn't buying it. Asked by the Post if he sensed any ill feelings or animosity from Kidd in their two seasons together, Scott quickly said, "No, not at all."
The two have appeared to be able to work together in the past and, according to the Post's account, have had an amicable relationship away from the court. But during the season there were rumblings of a rift, that Kidd disapproved of Scott's coaching decisions.
</div>
http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2003/0710/1579087.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESPN.com news services
It appears that reported demands made by Jason Kidd are a surprise to him as well.
Kidd's wife, Joumana, said her husband never demanded that the New Jersey Nets fire coach Byron Scott as a means of preventing his free-agent defection to the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.
In a phone conversation with ESPN the Magazine's Ric Bucher, Joumana Kidd denied the reports that her husband delivered his request during a Tuesday night meeting with his agent, team owners and Nets president Rod Thorn.
She went on to say that the Nets would support her husband in that Kidd never made such a demand.
But Thorn issued a statement Thursday, saying he would keep his conversation with Kidd private.
"My policy since I became the President of the New Jersey Nets has been that all aspects of any free agent negotiations remain confidential, and that I will not make any specific comments until those negotiations have been concluded," the statement said. "In keeping with this policy as it pertains to the current Jason Kidd free agency negotiations, I will not be making any further comments until Jason makes his final decision."
According to a report in Thursday's New York Post, several league sources said Kidd would only return to the Nets if Scott was fired. The newspaper also says Kidd demanded that the team upgrade its talent.
Kidd and Thorn could not be reached for comment by the Post.
Agent Brian McInerney, who has represented Scott since his playing days as a Laker, told the Post that he spoke with Kidd's agent, Jeff Schwartz, after learning of the player's demands.
"I [talk] to Jeff Schwartz frequently and we both believe that whatever is decided should be decided in a professional manner and not in a public debate," McInerney told the newspaper Wednesday night. "I doubt the validity of this meeting without an official comment from Rod Thorn.
"These releases harm the franchise, harm the players, harm players' families. Everything should only be released through Rod Thorn."
According to one of the tabloid's sources, Kidd told ownership that his complaint stems from Scott's in-game coaching. After the Nets lost the NBA Finals in six games -- Scott was criticized for his fourth-quarter adjustments -- sources told the Post that Kidd told New Jersey's brass his son "T.J. could have coached a better quarter."
Scott wasn't buying it. Asked by the Post if he sensed any ill feelings or animosity from Kidd in their two seasons together, Scott quickly said, "No, not at all."
The two have appeared to be able to work together in the past and, according to the Post's account, have had an amicable relationship away from the court. But during the season there were rumblings of a rift, that Kidd disapproved of Scott's coaching decisions.
</div>
http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2003/0710/1579087.html
