"I'll beat your ass" – Jeff Teague recalls Mike Woodson's fiery response to Jason Kidd purposely running into him

Jason Kidd is one of the NBA’s greatest point guards. He was a 6-foot-4 machine who could do it all, whether rebounding, finding an open teammate, or even hitting jumpers consistently late in his career. However, he’s also known for his craftiness and intelligence on the court, which has caused opposing players and coaches to get frustrated with him repeatedly.

One incident happened during a close game between Kidd's Dallas Mavericks and the Atlanta Hawks during the 2009-2010 season. With just over a minute left in the fourth quarter and Dallas trailing by two, Kidd saw that Atlanta head coach Mike Woodson was barking instructions on the floor near the sidelines. Seeing an opportunity to take advantage, Kidd purposely bumped into Woodson, causing a technical foul to be called on the latter for an “interference violation.”

One-time All-Star Jeff Teague , who was on the Hawks’ bench then, saw all these unfold and shared his thoughts on the “Club 520” podcast.

Woodson was incensed

Teague revealed that it was Woodson’s habit to stand on the floor to ensure his team heard his instructions. He often went to the scorer’s table to get candy and cough drops. On that play, the Hawks' HC was in the process of telling his players what to do on defense. However, he got too close to the court, and J-Kidd immediately pounced.

“If you see the video, I'm standing up and watching 'cause it was a real good game. And the ni*** just ran into Woody, like, boom and fell. He was like, ‘That's a tech! He on the court, he on the court!’” Teague narrated . “And Woody was like, ‘I'll beat your ass!’ Damn. I was over there, rolling after that. He was like, ‘I'll beat your ass!’” the former Wake Forest standout continued.

The officials then slapped Woodson with a technical foul, Dirk Nowitzki made the technical free throw, and later, the Mavs escaped with a 111-103 win in overtime.

After the game, Teague said Woodson was far from done. He was still fuming in the locker room, unable to believe what had just transpired.

“We ended up losing or whatever, but that sh** was so funny. Woody came in the back, bro. He was so mad. 'Can't believe his ass did some sh** like that—he tried to hurt me, he tried to hurt me!' I was crying, bro,” Jeff hilariously recalled.

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Smartest people to ever pick up a basketball

Teague, a one-time NBA champ with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, said that after seeing that play, a Hawks assistant coach discreetly shared his awe for what Kidd did.

“One of the assistant coaches was like, 'He's one of the smartest people that ever picked up a basketball, bro. That is brilliant—they're about to win this game 'cause he made that brilliant play.' He was like, 'Woody's in the wrong,' and he got the tech,” Jeff shared.

J-Kidd has his place in the palace of the NBA’s all-time greats. With a decorated career that includes an NBA championship, multiple All-Star appearances, and numerous accolades, it's no surprise that the shifty guard is widely regarded as one of the best floor generals in basketball history.

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