Jason Kidd, head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, has netted a $50,000 fine after the league says he intentionally dropped a cup of soda on the floor to delay his team’s Wednesday game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The slick, freshman coach is accused of dropping the drink late in the game in order to talk to his team after he was out of timeouts, ESPN reports.
With 8.3 seconds left, a two-point deficit, and zero timeouts remaining, Kidd was caught on video seeming to mouth “hit me” to the Nets’ Tyshawn Taylor. The point guard did bump into him, and Kidd spilled his Coke, stopping gameplay so that the floor could be cleaned. But the timing was awfully questionable: Lakers player Jodie Meeks had just made the first of two free throws, giving the Lakers a 96-94 lead. As the mess was cleaned up, Kidd took advantage of the accident to convene a small huddle, and the Nets’ assistant coaches drew up a last-second play for the team. In the video, you can hear one of the commentators saying that he himself used to pull that trick during games to stop play.
To make matters even more bizarre, two Lakers players snuck into the Nets impromptu huddle. But none of the shenanigans impacted the final outcome, as Brooklyn’s small forward Paul Pierce missed a three-pointer that would have tied the game, and the Nets lost on their home court at the Barclays Center.
When asked about what is now being dubbed “Cupgate” or “Spillgate,” Kidd said, “Cup slipped out of my hand while I was getting Ty. Sweaty palms. I was never very good with the ball.” His comments smack of sarcasm considering Kidd is a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame for his prowess as a point guard during his career.
Though the video seems to show Kidd saying, “Hit me,” Taylor denies having intentionally bumped his coach. “I wasn’t paying attention. I just kind of bumped him,” he said. “I didn’t even know he was holding [anything]. [But] coach was drinking soda on the sideline. I was like, ‘What is he doing?'”
“It could ice a free throw shooter and be a timeout when you don’t have one, but that wasn’t the thought process. I was just coming out, and he was in my way. ‘Coach, get out of my way, bro.'”