Jason Kidd identified LeBron James and Nikola Jokic as the two current NBA players whose passing ability and basketball intelligence most closely resemble his own game during his playing career.
Asked by All-Star Magazine which NBA player sees the floor as well as he did during his Hall of Fame career, Kidd initially referenced Jokic before selecting James as the closest stylistic comparison.
“I’ve talked about the Joker, but since you brought LeBron up, I would say LeBron’s game is probably my game is the closest to LeBron, even though his game is at a different altitude,” Kidd said.
Kidd pointed specifically to James’ ability to create opportunities for teammates and anticipate plays before they develop. “He has the ability to make plays for his teammates, his IQ, understanding what’s going to happen before it happens, is extremely high,” Kidd said.
Kidd ultimately grouped James and Jokic together when discussing the characteristics that defined his own approach as a player. “I would say those are the two players, when you talk about passing and just their basketball IQ,” he said.
The comparison carries particular weight because Kidd finished his playing career with 12,091 assists, ranking second in NBA history at the time of his retirement and remaining among the league’s all-time leaders. He also averaged 8.7 assists per game over 19 NBA seasons and led the league in assists five times.
Kidd also discussed James’ move to the Philadelphia 76ers, calling it the offseason transaction most likely to have the biggest impact on the 2026-27 NBA season. James signed with Philadelphia on a two-year minimum-salary contract, with a player option for the second season.
“It automatically puts Philly in the talks of winning a championship,” Kidd said. “They could be the best team in the East.”
Philadelphia finished 45-37 and seventh in the Eastern Conference during the 2025-26 regular season before defeating Boston 4-3 in the first round of the playoffs. The 76ers were then swept by the New York Knicks in the conference semifinals.
Kidd also cited Philadelphia’s young backcourt, specifically Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, as part of the reason he believes the James addition could have such a significant impact. Maxey averaged 28.3 points and 6.6 assists in 70 games last season, while Edgecombe averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 75 games.
Kidd also named Giannis Antetokounmpo’s move to the Miami Heat as his “1B” offseason move, putting Miami among the teams he considers championship contenders.
The Dallas Mavericks coach additionally discussed Cooper Flagg, whom he coached after the Mavericks selected the Duke forward No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. Kidd said Flagg is “on pace” to reach the level of players such as James because of his competitiveness, work ethic and willingness to embrace pressure.
