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 drunken-driving 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 passers-by 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 19-year 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.