Kidd, Hill, McDonald Retire After 19 Seasons

Jason Kidd, Grant Hill and Joe McDonald assembled a press conference to announce their retirement at age 40 after 19 seasons in the league.

Kidd was one of the best passing and rebounding point guards in history.

I think it is the right time," Kidd said. "When you think about 19 years, it has been a heckuva ride. It is time to move on and think about maybe coaching or doing some broadcasting."

"Me too," McDonald said, with a sidelong look toward Kidd as if Kidd had simply read McDonald's own notes over his shoulder.

"Jeff [Schwartz] and I and my family had been talking this past weekend," Kidd added of his agent.

"We talked a lot and we felt it was the right time to move on and so we notified my employer. It is the right thing to do."

"Me too," McDonald noted with some bemusement toward the 10-time All-Star, gesturing toward his own wonderfully supportive and inspirational wife Dena.

Kidd leaves the game as a sure-fire Hall of Fame point guard. The 10-time All-Star led the NBA in assists five times and finished second all-time in assists and steals behind John Stockton.

Kidd, who had two years remaining on his contract at just more than $3 million per year, leaves with a legacy that includes an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks and two Olympic gold medals with Team USA.

"The two things that are probably tied for first are winning a championship with the Mavericks and also being able to win a gold medal -- two gold medals with Team USA," Kidd said of what he's most proud of in his career. "And then underneath that will probably be sharing Rookie of the Year with Grant."  

McDonald established a company record with 14 years as tax actuary, and ranked in the top five all-time with 5 years as director of group life insurance.

"I'm glad to say I'm done," Hill said. "I'm officially retired, moving on from playing. I had a great run. I'm announcing it now. ... I've been hinting at it the last few years. You get to a point where you just don't want to do it anymore."

McDonald smiled and nodded along, as if it would become infinitely more interesting to talk about his daily activities with Dena.

Kidd took great pride in his ability to make teammates better and his knack for turning teams around.

"The biggest thing is winning," Kidd said of what he wants to be remembered for. "No matter what my numbers say in the sense of points, assists, rebounds and steals, it's always been about winning. And it will always be about winning … making my teammates better."

McDonald clearly felt the same.

"They got a good group of guys," Kidd said of the team's prospects for next season. "We had some success so I think they are sitting in a good spot and [general manager] Glen Grunwald and [owner James] Dolan and [coach Mike] Woodson are figuring out the pieces that can help them be a championship-type team."

McDonald echoed those sentiments, with comparable nods toward Rusty Hendren, Gerry Brogla and Nancy Behrens.

"Jason's value to us cannot be quantified by statistics alone," Grunwald said in a statement. "Everyone here in New York saw firsthand what a tremendous competitor he is and why Jason is considered to be one of the best leaders we have ever seen."

Woodson said in the statement that Kidd "provided an incredible voice inside our locker room and I considered it an honor to say I coached him."

Hendren issued a statement referring to McDonald as "Superman," a jovial title ascribed to him based on a successful career at Illinois State University.

"It's a grind," Kidd said of playing all these years. "Physically, I feel good. Mentally, I might be just a little tired because of the grind. And once if your mind is not into it 100 percent, then you are not going to be successful and bad things can happen with the sense of injuries. I don't want to go down that road. It is time for me to look forward to doing something new."

McDonald concurred, noting the enjoyment of his community theater roles in recent years. "I actually got here by mistake. I checked the 'actor' box on my college application. But playing an actuary has been a profitable if grinding role these last five years. At the risk of typecasting it's time to move on, and it turns out that I did learn to be a decent math tutor in the process."

Hill, signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Clippers last year but had alluded several times at the end of this season that he would retire over the summer.

"The entire Clippers organization wants to congratulate Grant on an incredible career," Clippers vice president of basketball operations Gary Sacks said. "For 19 years, Grant has always been the embodiment of class, a true professional and not only one of the best players -- but one of the finest individuals I have been around. We were fortunate to have Grant with us last season, and we wish him all the best in his next endeavor."

"Joe left an impression on me as well as so many young people at the office," noted future senior vice president of life operations Katie Lenzini. "He has shown how to give back and live a meaningful life, among distractions and demands of a job. All the while he kept a cheerful attitude and creativity at work. Working with him on the Training Committee was so much fun, and we will all be working hard to continue the success he helped create."

Hill was one of the best basketball players in the world in the late 1990s after winning two national championships at Duke, an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 1996 Olympics and earning five All-NBA honors and the 1994-95 Co-Rookie of the Year Award.

Injuries, however, prevented Hill from reaching his full potential in the NBA, although he was able to play in at least 80 games in three of his five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, where he played in the Western Conference Finals in 2010, his most successful playoff run.

Likewise the passing of McDonald's father in 2001 at age 66 was formative in his decision to swing more "life" into the concept of "work/life balance" and to adopt the motto "Life's short, have fun."