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Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA, Jason Kidd, CC BY-SA 2.0
Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA, Steve Nash, CC BY-SA 2.0
As the so-called “floor general” of the team, a point guard’s primary responsibility is to make the offense flow and to create opportunities for scoring, whether it be for teammates or himself. Throughout the history of the NBA, there have been many great point guards who have helped guide their teams to success and championships, whether it be Bob Cousy of the Celtics, Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Isiah Thomas of the Pistons, Steph Curry of the Warriors, etc. The recent 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame class included two of the most dynamic point guards of the 2000s in Jason Kidd and Steve Nash. During careers that overlapped as both teammates and opponents, the duo were usually at or near the top of the assists leaderboard each season and helped revitalize a few moribund franchises, which begs the question:
Who was better – Jason Kidd or Steve Nash?
The Beginning
Though they ended up together in Springfield, Kidd and Nash came from very different basketball pedigrees – while Kidd was destined for stardom at a young age, it would be a longer, more gradual journey for Nash.
As a high schooler, Kidd was a star, twice garnering California Player of the Year honors and winning a slew of awards as a senior, including the Naismith Award as top high school player, both PARADE and USA Today Player of the Year honors, and McDonald’s All-American honors. He surprised many by staying local and attending Cal for his college ball (by no means a basketball powerhouse). As a freshman in 1992-1993, he was named National Freshman of the Year and All-Pac-10, and led the Golden Bears to the Sweet 16 while upsetting two-time reigning National Champions Duke in the second round. The next year, he led the nation in assists, was a First Team All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year, and was a finalist for both the Naismith and Wooden Awards, though Cal was upset in the first round of March Madness. Following two stellar collegiate years, Kidd entered the 1994 NBA Draft and was selected second overall by the Dallas Mavericks. On a young Mavericks team, he averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game and led the NBA in triple-doubles, though only shot 38.5% from the floor, and was named Co-Rookie of the Year alongside third overall pick and former Duke star Grant Hill of the Detroit Pistons.
Meanwhile, Nash was born in South Africa and moved to Canada at a young age, where he grew up playing hockey and soccer, and did not pick up basketball until his teen years. Lightly recruited for college, he eventually earned a scholarship to Santa Clara University and helped lead the Broncos to a West Coast Conference (WCC) title and an upset of a number two seed in the NCAA tournament in his first year. By his senior year in 1995-1996, Nash would be a 2x WCC Player of the Year and an honorable mention All-American and as a result, was drafted 15th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. As a backup to various established point guards like Kevin Johnson, Sam Cassell, and then Kidd, Nash played sparingly his first couple of seasons. However, after two years, Nash was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells, the draft rights to Pat Garrity, and a first round draft pick that eventually became Shawn Marion (a future teammate in Nash’s second go-around with the Suns); Nash quickly became the starting point guard in Dallas and had a modest first season, putting up 7.9 points (36.3% shooting), 2.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.
Career Comparison
On their respective ways to becoming Hall of Fame point guards, the paths of Kidd and Nash were connected by the franchises they played for, namely the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks – at various points in time, each was the catalyst for high-flying offenses that wowed fans and brought great individual and team success.
Following his standout rookie season, Kidd began to establish himself as part of Dallas’ young “Three Js” core with Jamal Mashburn and Jimmy Jackson. In just his second year, Kidd was a first-time All-Star starter with 16.6 points (on 38.1% shooting), 6.8 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game, the first of 10 career All-Star Games. However, due to infighting and issues with coaches, he would be traded midway through his third season in a blockbuster deal – Kidd was dealt along with Tony Dumas and Loren Meyer to the Phoenix Suns for Michael Finley, A.C. Green, and Sam Cassell. As a Sun (where Nash was briefly his back-up), Kidd led the NBA in assists for three years in a row, including the lockout-shortened 1998-1999 campaign, where he averaged 16.9 points (on a career-high 44.4% shooting), 6.8 rebounds, and a career-best 10.8 assists to garner the first of five First Team All-NBA honors (including four consecutive) and also the first of four First Team All-Defensive nods. Despite his success in Phoenix, which also included three All-Star selections (i.e. each of his full seasons with the Suns), Kidd was soon on the move again, as he and Chris Dudley were traded to the New Jersey Nets for fellow point guard Stephon Marbury, Johnny Newman, and Soumaila Samake; ironically, Marbury had also previously been dealt for Sam Cassell as part of a three-team deal.
Nevertheless, Kidd would continue his run in New Jersey as one of the NBA’s best point guards. Over the course of nearly seven full seasons with the Nets, Kidd was named to five All-Star Games, twice led the NBA in assists, was 3x All-NBA (2x First Team, 1x Second Team), and was also 6x All-Defensive (First or Second Team). In his first season with the Nets, Kidd averaged 14.7 points (though on only 39.1% shooting), 7.3 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game and more importantly, transformed New Jersey from a doormat into an elite team, thus finishing second in the MVP race to Tim Duncan. The next season, he averaged a career-best 18.7 points per game (the 41.4% shooting was also one of his better years) with 6.3 rebounds and a league-leading 8.9 assists per game to once again achieve the trifecta of All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive. After another All-NBA season in 2003-2004, in which he once again led the NBA in assists at 9.2 per game, Kidd’s scoring numbers would dip below 15 per game for the rest of his career, though he would continue to be an All-Star caliber point guard.
Midway through the 2007-2008 season, with the Nets retooling, Kidd would return to Dallas, as he was traded with Malik Allen and Antoine Wright to the Mavericks for Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, Keith Van Horn, two draft picks, and money; at the time, Kidd had already been selected as an Eastern Conference All-Star starter and thus played in a Nets uniform. As an elder statesman for Dallas, Kidd remained a double-double threat and among the league leaders in assists. Following a little over four years in Dallas, Kidd would join the New York Knicks for one final season before retiring at age 39.
Upon his arrival in Dallas, Nash would team up with Dirk Nowitzki and the aforementioned Michael Finley (who had been acquired as part of the deal for Kidd) to form a new “Big Three”. Over time, he gradually improved his game and blossomed into an All-Star caliber point guard, garnering the first of eight selections in 2001-2002 on the strength of 17.9 points (on 48.3% shooting), 3.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game (all then-career highs). This was followed by a second straight All-Star nod and Third Team All-NBA selection in 2002-2003, as he posted averages of 17.7 points (46.5% shooting), 2.9 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. Following another strong season with the Mavericks, Nash became a free agent; though he wanted to stay in Dallas, the organization decided to build around the younger Nowitzki, leading Nash to return to Phoenix.
In his Phoenix homecoming, Nash was propelled to new heights playing in coach Mike D’Antoni’s high-octane offense with young stars like Amar’e Stoudemire, Shawn Marion (part of his earlier trade to Dallas), and Joe Johnson. The second time around, Nash spent eight seasons with the Suns and averaged double-digit assists seven times (leading the NBA on five of those occasions), which resulted in six All-Star Games and three consecutive First Team All-NBA selections, and another two Second-Team nods. His first few years with Phoenix were his best – in 2004-2005, the first year of his new deal with the Suns, Nash became the first Canadian and only the third point guard overall (after Bob Cousy and Magic Johnson) to win MVP after averaging 15.5 points (50.2% shooting), 3.3 rebounds, and 11.5 assists per game. As an encore, Nash put up a career-best 18.8 points (51.2% shooting), 4.2 rebounds, and 10.5 assists per game in 2005-2006 to become only the ninth player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVPs. While he would arguably put up the best numbers of his career in 2006-2007 (18.6 points per game on a career-best 53.2% shooting, 3.5 rebounds per game, and a career-high 11.6 assists per game), Nash narrowly missed out on being the fourth player with three straight MVPs, finishing second that year to his old teammate Dirk Nowitzki. Additionally, during his career peak, Nash achieved the 50-40-90 mark (i.e. 50% field goal percentage/40% three-point percentage/90% free throw percentage) on four occasions, joining an exclusive company that includes Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry.
Post the MVP years, despite turmoil and upheaval in Phoenix (new coach, players coming and going, etc.), Nash remained a rock in the Suns’ lineup, a double-double machine for points and assists and a highly efficient shooter; the only season he averaged below double-digit assists came in 2008-2009, when he put up 15.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and “only” 9.7 assists per game. In his final season with Phoenix in 2011-2012, Nash averaged 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 10.7 assists, and was once again an All-Star. That offseason, he was sent to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade, though only played in 65 games total over two seasons due to injuries, before retiring after the 2013-2014 season at age 39.
Overall, Kidd played one more season than Nash (19 vs. 18) and has the career edge in rebounds, assists, and steals per game, while Nash averaged more points per game and has better shooting percentages across the board. The dichotomy also exists in their careers honors – Kidd had more All-Star selections (10x to 8x) and was the far superior defensive player (9x All-Defensive vs. none), but Nash was more frequently All-NBA (7x to 6x) and has two MVPs to Kidd’s none. Likewise, from an advanced metrics perspective, Nash has a higher Player Efficiency Rating (PER), but Kidd accumulated more career Win-Shares. As mentioned, both players were honored for their illustrious careers with Hall of Fame inductions in 2018.
Regular Season Statistics
| Jason Kidd | Player | Steve Nash |
| 19 (1994-2013) | Seasons | 18 (1996-2014) |
| 1,391 | Games Played | 1,217 |
| 12.6 | Points | 14.3 |
| 6.3 | Rebounds | 3.0 |
| 8.7 | Assists | 8.5 |
| 1.9 | Steals | 0.7 |
| 40.0% | Field Goal % | 49.0% |
| 34.9% | 3-Point % | 42.8% |
| 78.5% | Free Throw % | 90.4% |
| 17.9 | PER | 20.0 |
| 138.6 | Win Shares | 129.7 |
| 10x | All-Star Games | 8x |
| 6x | All-NBA | 7x |
| – | MVP | 2x |
| 1x | NBA Titles | – |
| – | NBA Finals MVP | – |
| 9x All-Defensive, ROY, All-Rookie | Other Awards | – |
| 2018 | Hall of Fame Induction | 2018 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.com
Kidd and Nash were not just stat-stuffers, but rather helped change the trajectory of the franchises they played for from doormats to playoff contenders. Both appeared in the playoffs in the majority of their seasons, and in many respects, elevated their individual games in the postseason to varying degrees of team success.
Following his early years in Dallas, Kidd was no stranger to the playoffs, appearing in the postseason 17 of his 19 seasons. While he never advanced past the first round during his time with Phoenix, Kidd would turn the Nets into a perennial contender in the Eastern Conference, highlighted by back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 seasons, which were also his best individual postseasons. In 2002-2003, Kidd averaged 19.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game in the postseason, including averaging a triple-double in a six-game Eastern Conference Finals win over the Celtics (17.5 points/11.2 rebounds/10.2 assists per game), but the Nets were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. Then, the next year, the Nets would lose in the Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, despite Kidd averaging 20.1, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.2 assists during the postseason. While the Nets would lose in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2006-2007, it was a notable postseason for Kidd, as he averaged a triple-double over the course of 12 games (14.6 points/10.9 rebounds/10.9 assists per game). After many close calls, he would finally win an NBA title in his second go-around with the Mavericks in 2010-2011 – led by the aforementioned Nowitzki (who played with both Kidd and Nash), Dallas upset the LeBron James-led Miami Heat in six games; in a supporting role, Kidd averaged 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game to become the oldest starting point guard to ever win a championship.
Meanwhile, Nash visited the postseason 12 times in his career, but fell short of winning a title or even making it to the NBA Finals, though did make the Western Conference Finals on four separate occasions. As a Maverick, Nash would lose to the Spurs in the 2003 Western Conference Finals in six games (San Antonio went on to beat the Nets that year), averaging 16.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists during the postseason. Nash’s back-to-back MVP seasons were also his best postseason performances, as his Suns would lose in the Western Conference Finals both years:
- 2004-2005: lost again to the Spurs in five games in the Western Conference Finals; Nash averaged a sterling 23.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 11.3 assists per game in his finest individual postseason
- 2005-2006: lost ironically to the Mavericks in six games in the Western Conference Finals; Nash averaged 20.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game
A few years later in 2009-2010, in what would be his last real chance to win a title, Nash would once again lead Phoenix to the Western Conference Finals, where they fell to the Lakers in six games despite his 17.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game.
Both Kidd and Nash were also national team stalwarts for their respective countries. Kidd is one of the most decorated players in Team USA history, having won gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, as well as three FIBA Americas Championships (1999, 2003, 2007). As a member of Team Canada, Nash helped guide his country to a silver medal at the 1999 Tournament of the Americas and was named tournament MVP, thus earning Canada its first basketball appearance in the Olympics in a dozen years; at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Nash was team captain and led Canada to a quarterfinals/seventh place finish. However, Team Canada would just miss out on the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, finishing fourth in the Americas in what would be Nash’s last international appearance representing his country.
Playoff Statistics
| Jason Kidd | Player | Steve Nash |
| 158 | Games Played | 120 |
| 12.9 | Points | 17.3 |
| 6.7 | Rebounds | 3.5 |
| 8.0 | Assists | 8.8 |
| 1.9 | Steals | 0.6 |
| 39.1% | Field Goal % | 47.3% |
| 32.2% | 3-Point % | 40.6% |
| 78.1% | Free Throw % | 90.0% |
| 17.1 | PER | 19.8 |
| 14.5 | Win Shares | 11.9 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.com
Every athlete goes through a natural career lifecycle, from starting off as a rookie to reaching peak years of performance and finally, declining into the inevitable retirement due to a combination of age and/or injury; from their budding star early years to All-Star/All-NBA/MVP peaks to elder statesmen later years, the careers of both Kidd and Nash follow this time-worn career path. For Hall of Fame caliber players across sports, I like to look at a concept I call a “decade of dominance.” The thinking behind this is that for most Hall of Fame type careers, there are roughly 10 great seasons that define an athlete (this idea is embodied in a sense by the NFL’s All-Decade teams), though due to injury or other factors, they might not be 10 consecutive years.
Decade of Dominance
| Jason Kidd | Player | Steve Nash |
| 1997-2007 | Decade of Dominance | 2002-2012 |
| 731 | Games Played | 763 |
| 14.8 | Points | 16.2 |
| 6.9 | Rebounds | 3.3 |
| 9.3 | Assists | 10.3 |
| 2.0 | Steals | 0.8 |
| 40.7% | Field Goal % | 50.1% |
| 33.6% | 3-Point % | 43.1% |
| 80.4% | Free Throw % | 91.2% |
| 19.5 | PER | 21.6 |
| 88.2 | Win Shares | 97.8 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.com
As would be expected, both players averaged better numbers across the board in their decades of dominance, but Nash sees the much starker improvement; he averaged not only double-digit points and assists, but also a 50-40-90 line across the ten years. Additionally, while most of the stat trends remain, Nash’s decade of dominance overall comes out ahead of Kidd, as evidenced by his lead in both PER and Win-Shares.
My Thoughts
Despite their similarities (teammates at one point, both played for the Mavericks and Suns, both often led the NBA in assists, both had a transformative impact on their respective teams), Jason Kidd and Steve Nash were very different point guards. On one hand, Kidd was the quintessential “big” point guard and while a below-average shooter, he was a dominant playmaker, rebounder (for his position), and defensive player. On the other hand, Nash was arguably the better “pure” point guard and definitely a much more effective shooter, but left a lot to be desired on the defensive end. So which one do I prefer? In my mind, a few things go in Kidd’s favor: 1) he had a longer career stretch in which he was a top-flight point guard and player (though Nash’s pinnacle was better), 2) he was more complete on both ends of the court (save for his shooting), and 3) he was able to win the NBA title that eluded Nash even in the latter’s MVP prime.
Thus, after weighing their careers against each other in terms of statistics, achievements, and impact, the winner of this faceoff is:
Jason Kidd
As always, vote for your choice and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Further Reading
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