By admin 
When it comes to NBA players with the highest IQ, Jason Kidd‘s name has to pop up among the top names on the list. In his 19-year-long career, he had a total of 12,091 assists, finishing third on the all-time list. Besides having an incredible number of assists, he also got a nickname, “Mr. Triple-Double,” due to his ability to score and rebound well.
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One of Kidd’s biggest advantages was his ability to recognize situations on the court before anyone else. Paul Pierce was one of the many who attested to that. For him, Jason on the court predicted everything before anyone else.
It was definitely a nightmare to play against him. On the other hand, playing with him is a great privilege. Nenad Krstic, a former New Jersey Nets center from Serbia, had that opportunity in Jason’s prime. And it made his time in the league a lot easier.
Kidd was a magician with the ball
Krstic played three and a half seasons with Kidd in New Jersey. During that time, Nenad was a young, inexperienced center coming from Europe, while Kidd was in his prime, coming off great seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns. It is safe to say that Krstic hit the jackpot, playing with a point guard who was super fast and liked to pass the ball more than anything.
“He sees situations one step ahead, always. Not to mention his speed with the ball. I think that, in that moment, he was the fastest player with the ball. When he takes the ball and goes into a secondary break, a fast break. It was really enjoyable playing with him,”
Serbian big man mentioned he played with lots of great playmakers throughout his 7-year-long NBA career. Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo stand out the most. Still, Krstic believes Kidd is the best he has played with. But his greatness doesn’t just stand out on the court. In Nenad’s eyes, J-Kidd had an aura outside of the basketball court.
“And off the court, he leaves an incredible impression. He is a bit shy, you know. He has some energy that’s special. I don’t even know how to say it,” explained Krstic.
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For Krstic, it was a pleasure to work with such a player
You know you did something right when players talk about you and consider time spent together a privilege. That’s the way Krstic feels about Kidd. During his time with the Nets, he had the best numbers, as he averaged double-digit points over the course of three seasons. Playing with Kidd definitely had something to do with it and Krstic will forever be grateful for it.
“Really unbelievable experience to even work with and to share a locker room with that kind of man,” expressed Krstic.
Kidd’s way of seeing basketball is on another level, so it’s not a surprise he decided to become a coach. As soon as he said goodbye to his playing career, he said hello to his coachingcareer. In his first season, he was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.
His biggest success was with the Mavericks, when he went all the way to the Finals but lost to the Boston Celtics. After spending five seasons with the Mavs, he decided to mutually part ways with the franchise following the arrival of new team president Masai Ujiri. He is currently the lead assistant coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
Still, it’s only a matter of time before he gets another head coaching opportunity again. That high basketball IQ Krstic is talking about was noticed when he was a head coach as well. Just ask Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Teams are well aware of that, too.
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 6:34 AM.