It came, appropriately, on a lob pass.

Jason Kidd waited until just the right moment, like he always does, and flipped the ball high over the defense.

Roddy Beaubois went up and got it, then flushed it through the net with authority. That gave Kidd his fifth assist of the game against Houston and his 10,335th for his career, pushing him past Mark Jackson for second on the NBA's all-time assist list.

He'll never catch John Stockton, of course. That 5,000-dish lead is something Kidd will never make up.

Doubtful that anybody else will make it there, either.

But what Kidd has done in his career is special. And the truly impressive part of his passing ability is that he's both a crafty magician with the basketball and a meat-and-potatoes passer.

He's got "the ability to not only see the court, but to deliver the ball in rhythm on time and on target," coach Rick Carlisle said.

"I've seen some of the most amazing passes in the last year and a half – 50 foot bounce passes with side spin on them that come up in the guy's hand to finish on the break. Amazing stuff. And he understands the importance of simplicity. He's just one of the rare greats."