By Brandon Zhu
In 2002, New Jersey Nets point guard Jason Kidd recorded his 5,000th career assist in his 53st game. He became the sixth-fastest player in NBA history to reach that milestone, joining Oscar Robertson (467 games), Magic Johnson (472), John Stockton (483), Isiah Thomas (490) and Kevin Johnson (519). Kidd registered 15 assists in a 113-105 loss to Dallas. The second pick in the 1994 NBA draft, Kidd played 19 seasons in the league and won an NBA championship in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks. Kidd was an all-around threat on the court, known for his passing, 3-pointers, and defensive abilities. Kidd currently ranks no.2 on the NBA All-Time Assists Leaders list with 12,091. During the Mavericks 2011 championship run, Kidd averaged 9.3 points, 7.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals over the 21 playoff games that resulted in the Dallas Mavericks winning their first and only NBA title. Kidd’s other accolades include 9x NBA All-Defensive Team selections, 5x All-NBA First Team, 5x NBA assists leader, and 10x NBA All-Star. Kidd was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 and his no. 5 was retired by the Brooklyn Nets.