Citing Family Concerns, Kidd Won’t Make Trip

Jason Kidd said Saturday that he will not accompany the Phoenix Suns on their upcoming six-game trip and instead will concentrate on mending his relationship with his wife Joumana.

Kidd and Joumana talked to reporters less than 48 hours after he was arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge accusing him of striking her.

“Right now, basketball is secondary, and my wife and my family, we’ve made an agreement that I’ll return to play basketball,” Kidd said. “But right now is not the time to play basketball.”

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Gary Payton apologized for his behavior that prompted a one-game suspension and talk of a possible trade. Payton, in his 11th season with the Seattle SuperSonics, and Coach Nate McMillan got into a locker-room shouting match Wednesday night. . . . New Jersey Net Coach Byron Scott admitted he probably shouldn’t have compared his players to women after Friday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. “Not trying to be negative toward women, but it was almost like women’s basketball against men,” Scott said after the loss. “Guys hit them and they squirm and everything, and they kind of shy away.” On Saturday, Scott said, “It probably wasn’t the right to thing say at that particular time.”