Jason Kidd (Age 38) locks down Kevin Durant - 2011 NBA WCF

Dallas had Kidd coast on defense for the opening minutes of the game by matching him up with Sefalosha, but Kidd would often guard Westbrook and/or Durant for full quarters in the remainder of each game, not just for a few isolated possessions. Jason Kidd's defense in the 2011 WCF was phenomenal as both Westbrook and Durant struggled to find consistent success against him.
Jason Kidd's off-ball defense on Durant played a key role in limiting Durant's opportunities or forcing him to catch the ball in more difficult positions away from the basket. Kidd stripped Durant several times in the series and did an excellent job of keeping him out the paint and contesting most of Durant's shot attempts.
Westbrook found some success against Kidd in the beginning of the series, but Kidd's defense on Westbrook continued to improve as the series progressed. Westbrook did beat Kidd from time to time with his speed and explosion, but more often than not Kidd's timing and lateral movement was enough to stay in front of Westbrook and force him into reckless shots and turnovers.
Westbrook and Durant may have still been young at the time, but Durant was a 2-time scoring champion by 2011 and Jason Kidd was much further away from his prime at age 38.
Articles on Kidd taking on Kobe, Durant, and Westbrook in the 2011 Playoffs
- 1. www.sbnation.com/nba/2011/5/3...
- 2. www.espn.com/dallas/nba/column...

[@KS-jn7bs]

The biggest reason why I've been preaching that Kidd was the best point guard of the 00's. Alot of people would choose Nash but the disparity between Nash and Kidd on the defensive end is way too much to overcome Kidd's inefficiency. There's no way Steve Nash is playing this type of defense on Durant/Westbrook especially at 38 years of age.

[@yow293]

Kevin Surur even on lebron he locks down lebron on finals

[@KBKilla18]

well said

[@abs1532]

kidd way better

[@ECHESTER32]

kidd always on the defensive team every year. im a kidd fan

[@kixmgc]

Jason Kidd taught Nash how to be a good point guard. Nash even says so.

[@fruckstuck]

4:23 what a shot

[@weneedhim526]

At 14:56 damn what a comeback, 2011 mavs must have not been a team to joke around with

[@FrYLocK41]

A 38-year old pg guarded Brandon Roy, Kobe Bryant, Westbrook, KD, Harden, Wade and LeBron. Beat all of them and came out on top with a ring. HOF stuff

[@jamanwashington9478]

Which means dirk didn't do it by himself. Your comment just solved it l😂

[@louelastic954]

Kidd: Makes a few nice defensive plays against Durant Internet: HE LOCKED HIM UP

[@ChrisJones-lw8ss]

Where can I find the footage of this game?

[@Mektek19]

This is the same 2-3 zone that embarassed LeBron James. 8n fact Durant did way better against it.

[@TrideepNagg]

Damn lebron sure is the most hated player ever

[@kawaiiafangirl]

LeBron actually shot better from the field (47.8%) than KD did (42.9%) and averaged more assists than Durant (6.8 APG to 4.0 APG). LeBron's mistake was that he wasn't more aggressive. LeBron didn't have an outside shot while KD did so while LeBron could drive to the basket better than Durant, the defense will eventually collapse on him to force him to take a pass or a bad shot. I also think that James Jones' injury hurt the Heat when playing against Dallas' zone defense. Some of the best ways to beat a zone defense is to attack the gaps with a drive to the basket (LeBron) and/ or kick out to the wings for a 3-point shot. Unfortunately for the Heat, they simply didn't have enough great 3-point shooters to make the Mavericks pay. Chalmers was the only good shooter on the court while Bibby, Mike Miller, and Eddie House are all great shooters but for whatever reason, shot well below their averages that postseason. Wade was never a 3-point shooter and Chris Bosh had yet to shoot beyond the arc in 2011. James Jones shot 45.9% from the 3-point line that postseason so him being on the corners would probably help a lot (he'd probably be a defensive liability though, although he'd most likely defend more stationary players like Peja or Deshawn Stevenson if I were Erik Spoelstra). Anyway, this would just sound like an excuse if you're a LeBron hater, but I think this explains the Heat loss in 2011. LeBron should've been a lot more aggressive and taken more shots but his team was ill-equipped to beat the Mavs' zone defense.

[@Mektek19]

@@kawaiiafangirl I agree that LeBron should have been more aggressive, but thats why the defense worked so great on him. My statement stands true. That 2-3 gave Bron hell. It did give KD trouble, and Kidd was all over him but despite the slightly better efficiency I still think KD all around played better.

[@yunan9610]

@@Mektek19 he was deferring too much to wade, and as a result played less aggressive than he should. And KD is arguably the best scorer of all time, so he's really lethal on ball player with his mere scoring threat, while Lebron needs to have pieces around him to maximize his game, that is not to say either one is better, they just played differently.

[@weneedhim526]

@@Mektek19 kd didn't exactly do way better against it, lebron just got lazy and threw the whole series, or had off the court problems, wade destroyed this 2-3 zone defense, but yet you fail to mention that

[@MJ23-KB24]

How in the hell is 38 yr old Jason Kidd giving all these superstars in that 2011 run so much trouble? Yet, Jordan had no trouble with him when he was on the Mavs, Suns, or Nets.

[@alonreid]

This generation swear they're better than the older generation. If Kidd can shut a 7ft down & Jason Terry vs 6'8 Lebron. What makes them think these same superstars can go up against a 6'8 Pippen or Olajuwon.

[@X02Overdose]

Show Genius he averaged 28PPG on 42% against washes up has beens lmao

[@madballerz2000]

18 year old no nba experience nowitzki dropped 52 on a prime scottie pippen

[@franciscopizarro5424]

Show Genius kd got outplayed by dirk that series lol

[@kalinwang1]

@@madballerz2000 What are you talking about? I recall an old Dirk torching a prime James and Wade for a 7 games series. No way Dirk can torch Scottie Pippen for 7 games. Let's get real.

[@demetriousstephens1998]

@@kalinwang1 There was a pick up game Barkley was in with MJ and pippen and apparently Dirk was on the other team as well before he got to the nba. Barkley said Dirk “kicked our asses”

[@tonydemasso3691]

watching these on consecutive days highlights to me the low collective IQ. of kd russ and harden, all 3 are just one on one players and I think this explains why none hhave won including kd and his meaningless two rings

[@TheIcemanthomas]

Tony Demasso meaningless to who? U? They're sure not to the hof inductors

[@tonydemasso3691]

CPGoat #3 Well, if. We're honest it is meaningless, did his two rings actually mean anything ? Considering it all, considering how he himself thinks, he'll make the HOF but what about his career is honorable ? What are his moments ? He cheated the system

[@itisnottaken4444]

Tony Demasso so does Lebron Going to Miami make his rings meeningless too?

[@itisnottaken4444]

Tony Demasso cheating would entail that he did something against the rules. KD just put himself in a better situation to win. Ask Derozan what being loyal to your team gets you

[@tonydemasso3691]

@@itisnottaken4444 Kevin Durant broke a powerful taboo, in North American Sports Culture, he went to the team that beat him, he forfeited any pretense that he was competitive and wanted to compete, Im not going to let you or anyone else, tell me otherwise or try to convince me it was the right thing to do, just last week his agent said he had already made the choice to leave before the thunder played the warriors, that he already was looking for homes in the Bay area and had already invested in companies up there, he's a loser in my book, a false champion & false idol as much as LeBron is, both can't lead organizations by themselves to multiple championships, Tim Duncan Kobe Bryant, Dirk, even KG who had to be convinced to finally leave Sota, all embraced leading a organization, many years they didn't win, Tim and Kobe both played like 20 years and only one 5 times out of the 20, they stuck with it, KD & LeBron can't and won't do that, in effect whatever they do is meaningless, because it's so forced & contrived,

[@jason41a]

I don't understand how an old 6'4" Kidd could guard a young lanky tall superstar effectively. But he doesn't. Just amazing!

[@freshgams427]

Dame Lill N/A to be fair Durant obviously didn’t play how he plays now. He was super quirky and took uncomfortable shots. Present Durant would’ve just shot over everybody lmao

[@TheSands83]

Freshgams MP idk I watched Beverly give him fits

[@DJC-10]

mansonlamps I watched KD drop 50 on Beverly the next game 😑

[@TheSands83]

DJC - I watched the game b4Kd got shut down by a midget... u think Jordan would b shut down by a guy 5 foot 7?😂 nope.. dropping 50 on a guy 11 inches shorter is not an accomplishment.. being shut down by a guy that small proves how soft he is

[@DJC-10]

mansonlamps bev 6foot1 for a start and KD wasn’t even trying to scorer then he got in a interview where he infamously said I’m Kevin Durant you know who I am and dropped 50 get your facts right

[@Armando316]

It’s funny to me how Gen Z casuals talk about “Nobody can guard Durant”. “He’d have cooked MJ and Kobe”. 😂😂😂

[@llLeezy]

Try this against him now lol you seen what he did to jrue

[@JoshCConnor]

leezythegreat there's no comparison between Jrue Holiday and Jason Kidd

[@llLeezy]

Son Goku stop tryna sound smart you stupid fuck, 38 year old Jason kidd ain't half the defender jrue is right now. Jrue literally sonned Dame Lillard.

[@JoshCConnor]

leezythegreat You should stop going back and forth because 38yr old Kidd did a better job on Durant than a young fresh Holiday. Now sit your stupid ass down

[@kalbert009]

stop joking bro kidd is HOF but without a doubt jrue is a better deffender than kidd! what leezthegreat is saying that what kidd shut down was a young kd that has minimal experience in the play off compared to kidd. means kidd is able to deffend kd base on experience but what jrue did is straight deffending someone that is considered as unstoppable in todays NBA game so shut your mouth preaching none sense! u're over hyping kidds defense on kd over jrue

[@llLeezy]

He didn't like playing out of the post back then now he'll happily take you to the post that's how they could get away with it, fuckn idiot.

[@justent.4901]

Just to let you haters know JK is a beast it means nothing but respect to get deed up by a beast you know what your next video show shane battier guarding kd n d finals thats y bron has ws he NEVER locks up the other teams best offensive player chasedowns aint shit. Side bar lebron vs kd 1-2 didnt bron have the better team when he won now erbody bitch cuz of the GS MonStars haha this mavs team was a good 1 now show what they did to a best player n d world led team.

[@aleksjeff3088]

Durant will end up better than Lebron, and people will start comparing Durant to Jordan in a few years. Quote me later.

[@itsalbo2295]

When pigs fly

[@kurtcometa4818]

Hell no. That ain't gonna happen boy wake the fuck up

[@YusufRawlinson]

😂😂😂🤦‍♂️ Lebron is bout to get the hardest ring in NBA history this year

[@Celticsfor18th]

@@YusufRawlinson ?

[@YusufRawlinson]

@@Celticsfor18th he got injured. We will see what happens next year. It’s crazy really though Lebron is still the best in the Nba at 36 going on 37