The Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd is thought to be one of the best basketball layers currently active in the NBA. Before joining the Mavericks, Kidd led the New Jersey Nets to the NBA finals in 2002 and 2003.

His career in the NBA actually began with the Mavericks; he went on to play for Phoenix for a time, until being traded to the Nets before finally coming back home to the Mavericks in 2008, when he scored the 100th triple-double in his career in the final regular game of the season.

The oldest of six children, Kidd played on public courts in Oakland while a youth, often with Gary Payton (an NBA All-Star). The two remain close to this day and often speak fondly of playing on these courts.

While in high school, Kidd was ranked the top high school player in the country, earning the Naismith Award. He stayed close to his native San Francisco, attending college at UC-Berkeley. He was a finalist for the Wooden Award as well as another Naismith while in college and in 1994, entered the NBA draft. When he left his college team, his #5 jersey was retired.

He has been a 9 time NBA All-Star and a member of the All-NBA First team in 1999 through 2002 and again in 2004. Additionally, he has been on the 1995 NBA All-Rookie First Team, won the 2003 NBA Skills Challenge Championship and made the All Defensive First and Second teams every year between 1999 and 2007.

Kidd joined forces with some of the other greats of the game on the US Men’s Basketball team in the 2008 Summer Olympics, where they won a gold medal and went undefeated. Kidd has an unbeaten record of 56-0 in USA Basketball (including exhibition games). He has won gold medals in both the 2000 and 2008 Olympic Games.

However, the star’s personal life has not always gone as well as his athletic career. In 2001, he was charged with domestic abuse; he pled guilty to the charge and completed a course of anger management and counseling, in addition to quitting drinking. It was later announced that the couple had reconciled.

In 2007 he filed for divorce from his wife, claiming jealousy, paranoia and threats to report fabricated abuse charges. His wife counter filed on the grounds of abuse. They have since divorced, but have three children together.

In 2008, it was found that Jason Kidd and his girlfriend, the model Hope Dworaczyk were expecting a child of their own.

His personal life entirely aside, Kidd is one of the greatest players ever to walk the court. He is one of only two NBA players to score a career total of 14,000 points, 6,600 rebounds and 9,000 assists. Along with Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain, he is one of only three players in the history of the NBA to average triple-doubles for multiple games in playoff series. He is also an all time double triple leader, right behind Magic Johnson’s 138 and Oscar Robertson’s 181, as well as having been named the USA Basketball 2007 Male Athlete of the Year.

Jason Kidd has set milestones during his career with the NBA and the USA Olympic teams. He is an active community service promoter in the Dallas area, sponsoring programs for youth in the community.