Kidd’s slam-drunk verdict
New Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd was dressed down by a stern Hamptons judge yesterday after pleading guilty to DWI in a crash that destroyed his SUV and a light pole last summer.
“You could have killed yourself that night,” said Judge Andrea Schiavoni at Southampton Town justice court. “You could have killed somebody else.”
Dressed in a gray suit and accompanied by his wife, Porschla Coleman, Kidd, 40, agreed to give two lectures about the dangers of drunken driving at a pair of unidentified Suffolk County high schools as part of his plea deal.
If he fulfills those obligations by Sept. 30, Kidd will see his current misdemeanor drunkendriving conviction knocked down to driving while ability impaired — a violation.
After a night of clubbing, Kidd careened down a quiet Water Mill street near his Hamptons mansion and smashed his black Cadillac Escalade into a pole in the early morning hours of July 15.
Shocked passersby saw Kidd, who had just signed to play for the Knicks, sitting in a grassy area next to his smoldering vehicle and he was eventually arrested.
Kidd’s attorney, Eddie Burke Jr., said his client’s new status as a head coach has only intensified the spotlight.
“As a coach, he certainly has an important role,” Burke said. “He’s mentoring players and he’s responsible for players . . . Jason knows he was very lucky that night, and he’s looking forward to showing even more positive strides here.”
Kidd was named coach of the Nets last month following a stellar 19year NBA career as one of the game’s finest point guards. Kidd played six seasons for the Nets and twice led them to the NBA Finals.