Jason Kidd Wants To Coach LeBron James, Ready To Replace Luke Walton

Jason Kidd, who was fired by the Milwaukee Bucks last season, revealed Monday that he is ready to get back to coaching with the NBA Hall of Famer being touted as a potential replacement for Wyking Jones at his alma mater California. The Brooklyn Nets legend's name has also reportedly come in the discussion for the Los Angeles Lakers job next season with Luke Walton’s future looking uncertain.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Kidd is among the options the Lakers are looking at if they sack current head coach Walton after yet another disappointing season. And the former Bucks coach admitted that it feels good to be wanted again.

"I think Cal is a great institution. We'll see what happens," Kidd said Monday on ESPN’s "The Jump". "Right now, it's nice to be wanted. And it just tells me I'm doing the right thing. And I think the year off helps clean up some things, too, just to refocus and have that energy."

It is widely believed that Walton will be shown the door at the end of the season after the Lakers missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. And there have been a number of candidates linked with the job including Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who has already distanced himself from the possibility of joining the Lakers.

Kidd, however, has made it clear it is an opportunity that he will not turn down. He believes that no player or coach will ever turn down an opportunity to be a part of the second most successful franchise in the NBA.

"Not just in the NBA, but the world," the NBA legend said. "And so if you ever have the opportunity to wear the purple and gold, you can't turn that down. As a coach, as a player, because they're all about championships, and so they have a process. They have a young team. And then LeBron (James) comes and kind of sped up things. And so he wants to win now. But I think, again, it takes time."

Moreover, the former Nets coach also spoke about the opportunity to coach arguably the greatest player of the current generation – LeBron James – who joined the Lakers last summer on a four-year deal. He is certain that the three-time NBA champion will get them back to winning ways and after coaching Giannis Antetokounmpo while with the Bucks, he is hoping to coach another “elite player”.

"When you talk about the best player in the world, you always are going to say yes because as a coach or as a teammate, he's always going to make you better because you're going to work," Kidd said. "As a coach, X and O's, you got to be on point. And as a teammate, you're going to work extremely hard because you know he's going to need you to make that shot or come up with a defensive play.

"And so, that would be a great honor to coach any elite basketball player, and I've got that opportunity in Giannis. And, hopefully, somewhere down the road, I can have another star," he added.