Phoenix Suns point guard Jason Kidd just keeps getting better. InsideHoops.com Managing Editor Jeff Lenchiner met up with this NBA superstar in Los Angeles shortly before the start of the 2001 NBA Playoffs.
 

Jeff Lenchiner: How does it feel to be at the top of the NBA with your childhood friend, Gary Payton?

Jason Kidd: I think it's exciting, it shows that if you work hard, you can be successful. Hard work does pay, and you just have to continue to work, and you got two guys, when you're talking about Gary and myself, we have a God-given talent, but we worked at it and we're happy to be where we are today.
 
Jeff Lenchiner: What kind of stuff did he teach you?

Jason Kidd: Well he taught me a lot, never to give up, to work hard, don't be afraid to shoot, he's always told me to look at the basket, no matter what they say, if they say you can't shoot, show them that you can shoot, so, that's something that I've been trying to work on.
 
Jeff Lenchiner: Your shooting keeps getting better.

Jason Kidd: Yeah, I'm excited about it, my teammates are telling me to look at the basket, so that's what I'm trying to do.
 
Jeff Lenchiner: And how did it come about, just hard work and time... 

Jason Kidd: A lot of late nights in the gym, a lot of early mornings, especially when your friends are going out, you're going to the gym, those are the sacrifices that you have to make if you want to be an NBA basketball player.
 
Jeff Lenchiner: And how'd you learn to pass like this?

Jason Kidd: Oh, I think, watching Magic, him being one of my... I'm one of his biggest fans, and just trying to emulate what he did, going out on the playground, and also playing with older guys. When I was a little kid I used to play with guys twice my age, so, I was the last one picked, so if I picked I knew that I had to get the ball to the scorer if I wanted to stay on the court, so that was pretty much my job. 
 
Jeff Lenchiner: And what do you think of the new zone defenses coming to the NBA next season?

Jason Kidd: I think it's just another great opportunity for the professional athletes in this league to show that they can, you know, we're going to have to break the zone or you're going to have to play a great zone, so we're looking forward to the new rule changes, but, we'll see how they work out, you never know how they're going to turn out until you go through it.
 
Jeff Lenchiner: And what was your first reaction, "cool" or "damn?" 

Jason Kidd: No... I... you know, there's always new rule changes in this league, last year they brought in the new rules for this year, so, we just have to adapt to what they want.

Jason Kidd when asked to pick one guy he'd love to add to the Suns: I would go with a guy like Chris Webber, gives us the inside presence, and he can go inside and outside, he can pass the ball, you move, he'll find you, and that just shows the unselfishness of a player like that, and also he's an MVP candidate, if not the MVP of this league, so, a guy like that would I think put us over the top. 
 
Jeff Lenchiner: And if you had to pick MVP, if it was all up to you?

Jason Kidd: Oh, I think I would have to go with Iverson, you take him off Philadelphia and I think that team struggles, they've shown that they do struggle without him. Chris Webber was out for a while and Sacramento held their own. They got a talented group of guys in Sac, but Iverson, everything goes through Iverson, so, I would have to pick him.
 

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