Jason Kidd’s first NBA game was 29 years ago

Jason Kidd’s NBA career started exactly 29 years ago Sunday. And he remembers that day vividly.

“I was scared to death,” Kidd said before Sunday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets. “I was going against Kenny Anderson and Derrick Coleman.

“(Anderson) was regarded as one of the best point guards in the league at the time. I just wanted to figure out how to win the game. I had butterflies. I was nervous and scared — all of the above.”

The Mavericks made Kidd the No. 2 overall pick of the 1994 NBA Draft behind Grant Hill, who was drafted by Detroit. Kidd’s inaugural game was Nov. 5, 1994 against the New Jersey Nets.

When told that he registered a double-double (10 points, 11 assists) in that game against the Nets, Kidd said, “That’s all I had was a double-double? I didn’t have a triple-double?”

Actually, with the nine rebounds he collected that day against the Nets, Kidd was one rebound shy of a triple-double. More importantly, he said, the Mavs won the game, 112-103.

“Forget the stats,” Kidd said. “I was scared to death they would win.”

Hornets coach Steve Clifford recalls Kidd’s playing days, saying, “He was smart, tough. An incredible IQ. Incredible leader. Great competitor. He was a great, great player.”

BRIEFLY: Maxi Kleber missed his second straight game Sunday with a right small toe dislocation. “He’s been shooting the ball,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We’ll see how he feels. We’ll see if he goes on the trip (to Orlando after Sunday’s game). If he does, great. If he doesn’t, he’ll continue to rehab.” . . . Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said Jason Kidd and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball are similar in terms of each having a high basketball IQ. “I think Melo plays with more of a scoring mentality,” Clifford said. “Jason was an old school quarterback point guard the way we used to play. He ran his team and directed and knew where everybody was and where they wanted the ball. We don’t really play like that anymore.”. .On his team’s chemistry, before Sunday’s game, Kidd said: “We’re still continuing to learn each other on both ends — offense and defense. We’ve got a lot of new guys on the team (and) new coaches. So, I think we’re still in that process of learning each other. But I think when you look a late-game execution — the thing that we really focus on here — is showing that we’re going in the right direction.”. . . Clifford spoke about the difficulties of trying to defend both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. “You can say that somebody might be able to make it hard on them, but they’re going to get a good shot on any defender almost on every possession,” Clifford said. “So, whether you decide to send a second defender —which is what everybody does — or you just try to help more, they just put enormous pressure on your defense regardless of where they are on the floor every time they catch the ball. That’s what NBA basketball is all about. Can you create help? And they have two guys on their team that create help simply by having the ball.”

X: @DwainPrice