Now, as then, Kidd trade has stirred controversy

[HMFFL]

The return of Jason Kidd to the Mavericks demonstrated once again that never is not forever in professional sports.

Over time, things change, starting with hostility. The past can become the present. What had been a good-riddance goodbye for Kidd more than a decade ago became a welcome home again last week.

Count me as one of those who would have said "never" on Kidd wearing a Mavs uniform again. Also count me among those saying it was a great move to bring him back.

When he left -- 11 years and two months ago -- there was controversy. "Bad trade for the Mavericks," screamed the critics, particularly from a national standpoint. Those critics, by the way, were dead wrong.

The irony, of course, is with Kidd's return, yes, there was more controversy. "Bad trade for the Mavericks," screamed many of the team's fandom. Will the doubters be wrong again?

Based on the very early returns, that's impossible to even guess. You can't form a strong opinion either way after only four games.

But this can be said:

Kidd gives the Mavs what they didn't have. He's a strong floor leader who is not afraid to have the ball in his hands, and is adamant about getting the ball in the right hands.

If anything, Kidd must become a bit more selfish. Like, finish off drives to the hole by putting up a shot instead of dishing. Like, take the open jumper, even though perimeter shooting is not a strength.

One other observation: Is Dirk Nowitzki smiling more than ever the past week? Is Dirk playing with more fire in his butt than we've seen in a while? I think so.

As has been well-chronicled, starting tonight we find out more about Kidd and his new teammates. The Mavs are in San Antonio, where there was on-the-record glee about the departure of Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop, two former elements who gave the Spurs a problem.

What also quickly follows are road tests against the Lakers and the Jazz on Sunday and Monday, plus the red-hot Rockets are here next week.

For what it's worth, my advice is don't rush to judgment just yet, not based on what you will see over the next week.

By late April, when the first round of the playoffs starts, that will become judgment time for the return of Kidd.

As we already know, opinions on Jason, as they relate to the Mavericks, have been known to bounce from extreme to extreme.

"I was crucified nationally, and ripped up pretty good locally," Frank Zaccanelli said this week, who added, laughing, "even Nellie disagreed with me."

Frank Zaccanelli? A name from the Mavericks' distant days suddenly resurfaced last week, but no, it wasn't just Kidd.

Zaccanelli was the guy who traded Kidd in the first place -- on Dec. 26, 1996 -- shipping off the "franchise savior" of the '90s to the Phoenix Suns under the most hostile of circumstances.

A Dallas businessman -- then and now -- Zaccanelli to this day is a close friend of Dirk and Don Nelson.

But the overwhelming opinion at the time was Zaccanelli had no business meddling in basketball, even if his organizational title for then-owner Ross Perot Jr. was team president and interim general manager.

As the Mavericks were coming full circle in bringing back Kidd, the phone started to ring off the wall in the Zaccanelli household last week. Zac is not bashful. Media and friends knew he would be "available for comment."

"Trading Kidd back then was obviously a major transaction, and all I read or heard was how the Suns were run by brilliant basketball people who took advantage of me," he said. "And I also never heard the end of it from Nellie, after I hired him."

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[catalyst]

Dirk was not smiling Thursday night. I do think he is responding better than anyone to this Kidd Trade.

[your_dallas_mavericks]

I dunno Cat - Kidd, Howard, and Stack all had 20+ while Dirk had 30+ and Kidd, Damp, and Dirk all had 10+ rebounds while Josh had 9. Only Terry sucked last night against a sucky team known also as the Sucktown Kings...

Come on, could I suck anymore with a reply than that one?