Lakers Coach Byron Scott says he’s ‘cordial’ with Bucks’ Jason Kidd

Byron Scott was in his first stint as a head coach when Jason Kidd happened.

The star of the New Jersey Nets at the time, Kidd reportedly tried to lead an uprising in the locker room to complain about Scott’s coaching.

It likely led to the end of Scott’s tenure there, or at least sped it up.

And at the very least, it will add some interest to the Lakers’ game Wednesday night in Milwaukee, where Kidd is in his first season as head coach.

Scott, in his first year as the Lakers’ coach, said their relationship now was “cordial.”

“And that’s about as good as it’s going to get, too,” he added Wednesday. “I respect him as a basketball player and now as a coach but other than that, we’re not going to be swapping spit and having dinner and playing golf and all that stuff together.”

Scott used a mild expletive to describe Kidd’s reputation as a player. Then he extolled the virtues of a former Lakers teammate from Scott’s playing days.

“I played with star players,” Scott said. “Magic [Johnson] was probably as big a star as you could get but also was probably the best teammate I ever had. He wanted everybody to be successful. That was the great thing about Earvin. Him and [Pat Riley] had an unbelievable relationship. Magic let him coach, which I thought was fantastic.”

The Nets had a solid run under Scott, advancing to two NBA Finals, but Kidd chafed under Scott’s tough leadership. Scott was fired midway through the 2003-04 season, less than a year after the Nets lost to San Antonio for the championship.

Scott laughed when asked about Kidd’s infamous cup incident, when he intentionally spilled a drink on the court in a game against the Lakers last season to cause a timeout. The NBA fined him $50,000.

“He should have been fined more,” Scott said. “It was just so obvious.”

Scott landed on his feet after being fired by New Jersey, working for ESPN and eventually becoming head coach for New Orleans, Cleveland and now the Lakers.

“I’m in a much better place and I’m sure he’s pretty happy where he is too,” Scott said.

Scott also found a compliment for Kidd, who has the Bucks in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt despite losing rookie Jabari Parker to a season-ending knee injury.

“I think here he’s done a great job,” Scott said. “I don’t think a lot of people knew about Milwaukee [as a team]. From where they were last year to this particular point, he’s done a terrific job with this team.”