There is an endless list of underappreciated players throughout NBA history. However, there are very few who remain underappreciated despite excellent statistical production and a championship victory. Former point guard Jason Kidd might be the only guy who fits the bill, as he gets continually overlooked in debates over who the best NBA point guard ever is. Explore the achievements that made Kidd’s professional basketball career such an elite one.

1. A True Floor General

A defining part of playing point guard is basketball IQ. While plenty of modern guards make up for a lack of such a skill with better one-on-one scoring, Kidd used his knowledge of the game to involve his teammates in the offense consistently. He led the NBA in assists per game five times during his career and averaged 8.7 assists per game over 19 years.

Kidd never averaged 20 points in a season. Still, his ability to efficiently run offenses consistently had him in the MVP race, while also propelling him to the third-most assists in league history.

2. A Heads-Up Defender

As one might expect from a smart player like Kidd, his savvy translated to the defensive end of the court as well. Even without top-notch athleticism, the 6-foot-4 guard was consistently able to read opposing offenses, allowing him to jump passing lanes and poke the ball away from their handlers. As a result, Kidd made seven All-Defense teams in his career, three of which were First Team selections.

By the end of his career, Kidd was second on the all-time steals list, but fellow point guard Chris Paul (“CP3”) has since surpassed Kidd to place him in third once again. Notably, Kidd also garnered votes for the Defensive Player of the Year award a couple of times, an honor that was usually reserved for big men on the court. 

3. Stuffing the Stat Sheet

When many fans think of Kidd, they remember him as the point guard of a Dallas Mavericks offense that took home a championship in 2011. However, that perception often leads to Kidd’s versatility going overlooked. The Hall of Famer was an excellent shooter and an underrated rebounder, recording 107 triple-doubles over his 19 years in the NBA. That number, even with the influx of outstanding individual performances, is still the sixth-most in NBA history.

While current players like Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets have a good shot of catching Kidd, he will remain in the top 10 in that category for the foreseeable future.

4. An Individual Masterclass

While monstrous individual performances have become commonplace in today’s NBA, the type of game Kidd put forth on Feb. 26, 2010, was unique in its time. The guard finished with a ridiculous stat line of 19 points, 17 assists, and 16 rebounds in a game between the Mavericks and the Atlanta Hawks. It was Kidd’s second game with more than 15 counting stats in each category. At the time, there had only been three other games in NBA history that featured a player with more than 15 points, rebounds, and assists in a single contest. Magic Johnson authored two, and the third was by Larry Bird.

Even though players like Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets and Russell Westbrook of the Sacramento Kings have normalized performances like that, it remains one of the finest moments of Kidd’s career.

5. Olympic Leadership

Kidd participated in the Olympic Games only twice, but he played a key role in both appearances for Team USA. In the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia, Kidd was featured as one of the three American captains and the chief ballhandler for a team that also included guards Tim Hardaway and Gary Payton. Kidd proceeded to shoot 51.6% from the field while leading Team USA in assists per game, helping spearhead a perfect 8-0 record and a gold medal for the Stars and Stripes.

After sitting out the 2004 games, Kidd returned to the international stage as a part of the legendary 2008 Redeem Team. Unsurprisingly, he took a back seat on one of the best Olympic basketball rosters ever assembled. Despite playing only 13.5 minutes per contest, Kidd still provided critical leadership to a team playing to redeem national pride on the biggest stage imaginable.

A Position-Defining Career

It is hard to see Jason Kidd as anything but one of the best pure point guards of all time. He did not specialize in isolation scoring, but he was still one of the best offensive players of his era through his incredible passing and on-court leadership. 

As the NBA evolved, Kidd would become the last of a dying breed of players. Competitors with his selflessness and defensive tenacity were replaced by players who focused on putting up huge scoring numbers. With that knowledge, it is even easier to appreciate the litany of on-court achievements that Kidd delivered to fans.