The Mavs aren’t in the NBA Playoffs, but they may get another player into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Former first-round draft pick, Rookie of the Year and eventual championship point guard Jason Kidd is on the ballot of the Hall’s 2016 class.
Kidd would join former Mav guard Rolando Blackman among the Texas legends.
Kidd, who so rankled owner Mark Cuban with his abrupt departure in 2012 that neither his Nos. 2 or 5 hang in American Airlines Center, is up for nomination along with prominent Dallas-area athletes such as Dennis Rodman, Michael Young, Larry Allen, Justin Leonard and Nastia Liukin.
Should Kidd be in? Of course.
I know he forced his way out of town in the late '90s with an ultimatum after a rift with teammate Jim Jackson, but think about Mavs' basketball without him. Put the Mavs back on the national map during his rookie year in '95, and then was a key player in their run to their lone NBA Championship.
Yes, flaws and all, Kidd's No. 2 (I can argue against his original No. 5) should hang at AAC and fans should be able to witness his bust in the state's sports hall of fame.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Enshrinees will be announced in September.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
