Kidd on loving soccer, idolising Pele and Dallas World Cup
One of the greatest players in NBA history talks about his lifelong connection to the beautiful game and World Cup excitement in Dallas.
Jason Kidd is the head coach of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks
He is an avid follower of soccer and is part of Everton’s ownership group
Legendary point guard talked about World Cup excitement in Dallas
Before he became a standout college player at the University of California, an Olympic gold medal winner in 2000 and 2008, an NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, one of the best point guards in basketball history, a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and an esteemed NBA head coach, Jason Kidd played soccer.
Growing up in Oakland, California, the future hardwood wizard tormented youth soccer opposition in the Bay Area by banging in goals for Bay Oaks at will. While his focus would eventually shift to basketball, his affinity for the beautiful game never diminished.
The 52-year-old head coach of the Mavericks remains closely associated with soccer, notably as a member of the ownership group of both English Premier League side Everton, and the Oakland Roots [men's] and Oakland Soul [women's] of the United Soccer League (USL).
Make no mistake that later this year, Kidd will be one of the many thousands attending FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches at Dallas Stadium. Speaking recently with FIFA, Kidd talked about his connections with the sport, the beauty of international competition and why visiting fans are going to love being in Dallas for the World Cup.
Jason Kidd: What I loved about it at first was the oranges. The parents were responsible for half-time, and a lot of times I couldn't wait for half-time because they cut up oranges, but I fell in love with the game because it was just being outside playing with my friends. I played centre forward and I wanted to score. I found out very fast what scoring was all about and also what it was like playing with team-mates. I learned a lot of different terminologies, like the give-and-go, which is very relatable to basketball, so I loved playing soccer.
The footwork was something that helped me, and being able to use the lower part of your body. There were a lot of similarities, like scoring a goal. When the coach would talk about scoring a goal basketball-wise, I understood what he meant. And then passing with your feet in soccer, passing with your hands in basketball. So just understanding some of the plays, like give-and-go, setting a pick, going long... There were a lot of things that I took from soccer onto the basketball floor.
Pele.
Just hearing about this famous Brazilian soccer player and being able to see him on TV. And then understanding the things that he went through as a young man and what he did to popularize the game of soccer. I started to watch him and understand how good he was. He was Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan with the soccer ball.
I never got a chance to meet him. I just followed him through his movies, read his books, and watched some of his old games.
[Smiles and nods] We all tried it! Probably not as well as he did it. We all went out to practice that. Unfortunately, I wasn't a very good at bicycle kicks, but when you see what he did so gracefully, we all wanted to copy that.
I just watched it on TV. I wish I would have gone to the games here in ‘94. If I could replay it, I should have gone in ‘94. I can’t wait to go this summer.
Well, I've had quite a few experiences of going over to London. One of the first was going to Tottenham's practice facility. I was blown away. Seeing all the different pitches. It was an incredible experience. I got to understand the academy side and then the pro side. I don't know if it's still this way, but the kitchen split the building so that the academy could see through the kitchen to the pro side. That gave them the understanding that this is what they're shooting for, which is to get on the other side.
It’s a dream come true to be able to be an owner of an English Premier League team. You talk about Everton... I'm so excited. It's do or die once a week. The passion of European soccer, I was lucky to go this past summer to the new stadium. The singing, the support that they have week in and week out, and not just at home, but also on the road. I wish that everyone could experience that. I'm very fortunate to be a part of the Everton group, which I think is the best in the world.
When you go to the games, being able to walk on the pitch, you understand that there's no grass out of place. You're talking about the best players in the world. There’s a passion that the players have for putting on that uniform and giving their all, about trying to find a way to win. They take care of their past players. I got to see that up close. Everton, I think, does an incredible job of having the past players involved.
I have not done that yet. When I went, it was a quick trip. But I plan on spending some time with him because he is one of the best to do it. And for me to have that opportunity to learn what it takes to be a great manager, why wouldn't I?
When you talk about [Landon] Donovan, we have some great memories. Tim Howard as well. We have some great players from the past. To be able to see those teams play and compete, there’s just a passion to be able to represent your country… We have had some great players and I think we need to do a better job of recognizing them because they stood for greatness.
Brazil when I was younger. They were very talented. There were some incredible games that came down to penalty kicks. Also, one of the greatest of all-time, [Lionel] Messi. No matter the size, you can never measure a heart, and his heart is as big as anybody’s. He understands the moment. To be able to watch him in this last one was incredible.
Just understanding that it's just not Texans, but it's going to be everybody. There's no better city to host this. We'll be able to show the world why Dallas is one of the best cities in the world.
All of them. I'm looking forward to seeing Argentina, their spirit and the love of soccer... And even the underdogs. Understanding on any given day, you can have your best game. When you play soccer, it comes down to someone making a mistake, and that's why the underdogs have the opportunity.
We always welcome you with a ‘howdy’. We're fun, we're relaxed. We're going to show you a good time. Also, the barbecue is like no other. So I think when you talk about food, kindness, and support, we're going to be able to show you all that in one.
When you talk about what Jerry Jones has done with the stadium, he was ahead of his time. To be able to host the Super Bowl, host the [Dallas] Cowboys, boxing, any event, and now to be able to host the World Cup, everybody will see one of the best stadiums in the world.
There will be talk about the World Cup, with Canada, the US, and with some of the foreign players that we have. You have some guys who do like Chelsea, Man United, or Man City. They always go with the big dogs. I said you got to find a team that's mid-table of one that's fighting for their life. It’s easy to go with the favourites… But there is some teasing once a week on someone losing or getting upset.
Well, we don't talk about them…. If there's any player that supports Liverpool, I'm going to have to take their minutes away [laughs].
It means a lot to me. Anytime you can go play for Team USA, no matter soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, it is a bigger and more important meaning because you get to represent your country. It means that you get to showcase your talent at the highest level against the best players in the world.
2000 was my favorite because it was my first and I was nervous. Just to be able to go to the village and see the different countries, to be able to interact with the different athletes, to understand everyone is trained for one moment and that's to win a gold medal. Not everyone has that opportunity. Some lose. We did end up winning a gold medal in Sydney, which was a beautiful city.
I always want to support home. Soccer is our last professional sport in Oakland. The A's [Major League Baseball] have left, the Raiders [NFL] have left, the Warriors [NBA] have left. So it’s trying to give hometown support. The Oakland Roots and the Oakland Soul are the only professional teams left, and so I do whatever I can do to help them stay and flourish.
I think when you talk about ‘Oaktown’, it's different in its own right. Just the flavour, the support, the expression. They all come out to support the Roots and Soul. Oakland's a great sports town, a lot of history there. And just understanding the Oakland Roots, that they're doing everything to compete, and then giving others an opportunity to showcase their talent.