Kidd Charged With Assault After Arrest

A misdemeanor assault charge was filed against Phoenix Suns’ guard Jason Kidd after he was accused and arrested for striking his wife, Joumana, during an argument at their home Thursday night.

Arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday.

“There’s just a bad history here,” Joumana Kidd told police on a 911 call. “I told him this would be the last time, and he popped me right in the mouth.”

Kidd appeared alongside Phoenix Suns’ owner Jerry Colangelo and made a brief statement to reporters Friday.

“I love my wife. I love my family,” said Kidd, who was not in uniform for Friday’s game against Golden State. “This is a situation that is embarrassing to me, to my family, my friends and also to the Phoenix Suns. I apologize for that and at this time that is pretty much all I can say.”

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Seattle Supersonic General Manager Wally Walker was noncommittal when asked if troubled point guard Gary Payton needed to be traded.

“In this business, anything is possible,” he said.

The Supersonics suspended Payton for Friday night’s game against Minnesota for “conduct detrimental to the team” after a Wednesday night loss to Phoenix.

The NBA’s trading deadline is Feb. 22.

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Vince Carter, the leading vote getter for the NBA All-Star game, will not participate in the slam dunk contest next month.

Carter, last year’s slam dunk champion, told Stu Jackson, the NBA’s vice president of operations, that he didn’t feel he could physically do it.

Carter says he has a sore left knee, an injury that caused him to miss five games earlier this season.