Giannis had no idea Jason Kidd was once an NBA superstar
Jason Kidd's voice carries a bit more weight than the run-of-the-mill head coach - at least if you know his resume.
In an illuminating profile with Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo recounted how looking up Kidd's career accomplishments changed his mind after early doubts about his coach.
As Jenkins wrote:
The first time Kidd benched him, Antetokounmpo was irate. "I was like, 'Let’s see what this guy did in his career, anyway,'" Antetokounmpo recounts, and called up Kidd’s bio on his phone. "I saw Rookie of the Year, NBA championship, USA Olympic gold medal, second in assists, fifth in made threes, blah, blah, blah. I was like, 'Jesus freaking Christ, how can I compete with that? I better zip it.'"
For the record, Kidd's resume reads as follows: 10 All-Star nods, Rookie of the Year honors (shared with Grant Hill) in 1995, nine All-Defense nominations, six All-NBA selections, two Olympic goal medals, and one championship, after which his No. 5 was retired by the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets.
If that doesn't command respect, nothing will.