New Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd got dressed down by a stern Hamptons judge this morning after pleading guilty to a drunk driving crash that destroyed his SUV and a light pole after a night of partying last summer.
“You could have killed yourself that night,” said Judge Andrea Schiavoni at the Southampton Town justice court. “You could have killed somebody else.”
Dressed in a gray suit and accompanied by his wife , the rookie coach agreed to give two lectures about the dangers of drunk driving to a pair of unidentified Suffolk County high schools as part of his plea deal.
If he completes those duties by Sept. 30, Kidd will be allowed to have his current misdemeanor drunk driving charged 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 telephone pole in the early morning hours of July 15.
A shocked passersby saw the former Nets star, who had then just been signed by the Knicks, sitting in a grassy area next to his smoldering vehicle and he was eventually arrested and charged with DWI.
As part of his plea package, Kidd agreed to pay $8,100 in restitution for the damaged light pole that knocked out power to several homes in the tony area.
Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said he was pleased that Kidd agreed to give the student presentations.
“Because of his status as a professional athlete Mr. Kidd is the perfect person to reinforce the important message we’ve been trying to send, which is don’t drink and drive,” Spota said in a statement.
Kidd’s attorney, Eddie Burke Jr., said that his client’s new status as a head coach has only intensified the spotlight.
“As a coach he certainly has an important role,” he 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.”
The former University of California at Berkeley star and Olympic gold medalist is considered one of the best players of his generation. He retired after a disappointing playoff run with the Knicks in the spring.
Last month, the Nets announced him as their new coach.