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Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd was suspended Friday for two games after pleading guilty in a drunken driving case.
The NBA announced Kidd will miss the first two games of the season. The Nets open at Cleveland on Oct. 30 and host the defending champion Miami Heat on Nov. 1.
Kidd pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge after he crashed into a utility pole on eastern Long Island on July 15, 2012. He was treated at a hospital for minor injuries. He returned to court Monday after completing community service and his plea was reduced to a violation, driving while ability impaired.
"I think we all knew that was going to come at some point," Kidd said Friday after practice at Duke University in Durham, N.C. "You have to be responsible and the league came down with the suspension, and I accept that. If a player's out, guys have got to step up. ... My coaching staff is more than capable of stepping up."
It hasn't been determined which of Kidd's assistants will fill in during the suspension, he said. Lawrence Frank, who coached the Nets from 2004-09, is Kidd's top assistant.
Kidd will make his coaching debut when the Nets travel to Orlando on Nov. 3.
Kidd spoke to students at two Long Island high schools last week about the dangers of drunken driving. He also paid a $500 fine and his license was suspended for 90 days, according to a spokeswoman for Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota.
The 40-year-old Kidd retired as a player in June after a 19-year NBA career and was hired weeks later to coach the Nets.
Ex-Heat player Miller adjusts to Grizzlies
Mike Miller says he's just trying to fit in and be an asset to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The two-time NBA champion is being a bit humble.
When he smoothly swishes 3-pointer after 3-pointer in training camp, the Grizzlies see more than just the outside threat they've lacked for so many years. Memphis believes they've acquired a veteran who can help them take that big step past the Western Conference finals.
"Mike Miller's going to be a huge addition being able to stretch the floor but also brings that championship experience," Grizzlies guard Mike Conley said of his new teammate.
The Grizzlies won the services for Miller over Oklahoma City, Houston and Denver in July, getting a bargain with the Miami Heat paying him more than $12 million over the next two seasons after releasing him in July. He still holds eight of the Grizzlies' franchise records, including 3-point shooting percentage and the most 3s made and attempted from his previous tenure in Memphis between 2003 and 2008.