Jason Kidd Is Giving Away His Gold Medal

The way that the players of the USA Basketball team were staring at their freshly earned gold medals after defeating Spain in the epic final game, it appeared that those pieces of hardware would be something they would cherish for the rest of their lives. That's not the case for at least one member of the "Redeem Team" however, as Jason Kidd will be giving his gold medal away to ... the wife of one of the wealthiest casino owners in Las Vegas. The particulars:

Kidd promised Elaine Wynn, wife of casino mogul Steve Wynn, that he would give her his newest Olympic medal if the Americans fulfill the redeem dream.

"It's not a (gambling) marker or anything like that," Kidd told The Arizona Republic. "She's just a great friend and a really great person."

They met last year when Kidd and the USA team stayed at the Wynn while training in Las Vegas.

"Last summer, we stayed at the Wynn for (what seemed like) a lifetime, close to three weeks," Kidd said. "We met at a banquet, we got to talking, and she really understands the game. I told her I'd make a deal with her, that if we won the gold medal, I'd give it to her. She thought I was kidding. But I told her I had one already, and the way they treated us at the Wynn, it was the least I could do."

I have so many questions about this, but let's just discuss one of the most obvious ones, shall we? Kidd has been an NBA star for a long time, and surely owes debts of gratitude to a lot of people. People that he's undoubtedly known for more than a year or so. So what makes Mrs. Wynn so special?

USA Mens Basketball

A worker puts up the photos of Chinese gold medalists at the Beijing 2008 Olympics Tuesday Aug. 26, 2008 in Shanghai, China. Hurdler Liu Xiang's painful withdrawal and a ho-hum performance by basketball star Yao Ming were low points for China at the Beijing Olympics. They hardly mattered. Such disappointments were inconsequential against the hosts' all-time best count of 100 medals, 51 gold, an amount that sprawled across the Olympic program into sports where China hadn't before distinguished itself. Only the United States had more medals with 110, and its 36 golds were a distant second to China's tally. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

BEIJING - AUGUST 24: Jason Kidd #5 of the U.S. Men's Senior National Team poses for portraits after defeating Spain 118-107 in the men's gold medal basketball game at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Intercontinental Hotel on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jason Kidd

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BEIJING - AUGUST 24: Chris Paul #13 and LeBron James #6 of the U.S. Men's Senior National Team poses for portraits after defeating Spain 118-107 in the men's gold medal basketball game at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Intercontinental Hotel on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chris Paul;LeBron James

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BEIJING - AUGUST 24: Chris Paul #13 of the U.S. Men's Senior National Team poses for portraits after defeating Spain 118-107 in the men's gold medal basketball game at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Intercontinental Hotel on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chris Paul

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BEIJING - AUGUST 24: Kobe Bryant #10, Chris Paul #13 and LeBron James #6 of the U.S. Men's Senior National Team poses for portraits after defeating Spain 118-107 in the men's gold medal basketball game at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Intercontinental Hotel on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant;Chris Paul;LeBron James

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BEIJING - AUGUST 24: Kobe Bryant #10 and LeBron James #6 of the U.S. Men's Senior National Team poses for portraits after defeating Spain 118-107 in the men's gold medal basketball game at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Intercontinental Hotel on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant;LeBron James

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BEIJING - AUGUST 24: Kobe Bryant #10 of the U.S. Men's Senior National Team poses for portraits after defeating Spain 118-107 in the men's gold medal basketball game at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Intercontinental Hotel on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant

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BEIJING - AUGUST 24: Michael Redd #8 of the U.S. Men's Senior National Team celebrates winning the men's gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on the bus on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. The United States defeated Spain 118-107 to take the Men's Basketball gold medal. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Jesse Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Redd

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BEIJING - AUGUST 24: Carlos Boozer #4 of the U.S. Men's Senior National Team celebrates winning the men's gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on the bus on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. The United States defeated Spain 118-107 to take the Men's Basketball gold medal. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Jesse Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carlos Boozer

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I know Kidd is rumored to be on the prowl, and is considered "old" in NBA circles. But Mrs. Wynn seems to be outside of even the top end of the cougar range, so it's probably not a relationship thing. And Kidd isn't exactly Charles Barkley, so I'll choose to believe that it's not gambling related either.

What about that part about Kidd saying he'd make a deal with Steve's better half? A deal involves two parties, so what was Mrs. Wynn's end of the bargain? We'll probably never know, but it's likely that she was responsible for providing some out-of-this-world hospitality to Kidd during his stay, which must have included something that he's extremely thankful for.

[via SLAM]