Hall of Famer Jason Kidd is looking forward to helping LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers achieve their goal of winning a championship next season.

The Lakers hired Kidd as an assistant coach on Frank Vogel's staff. Kidd and James have a close relationship. They were teammates on Team USA back in the day.

“One of the smartest players in the world. One of the best players to ever play the game the right way,” Kidd said of LeBron. “So I'm very excited for the opportunity to help him hopefully achieve his goal and our goal as the Lakers and that's to win the championship.”

LeBron James missed the playoffs last season for the first time since his second year in the league. The Lakers will make the postseason in 2019-20, though, after acquiring six-time All-Star Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans.

James averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists last season while shooting 51.0 percent from the field, 33.9 percent from beyond the arc and 66.5 percent from the free-throw line. The Lakers probably make the playoffs in 2018-19 if LeBron doesn't suffer that hamstring injury on Christmas against the Golden State Warriors which cost him 17 games.

Jason Kidd is a high IQ basketball guy, and he figures to mesh well with LeBron, Rajon Rondo and AD.