The official Jason Kidd recruitment dinner, scheduled for 6:30 local time, began at a fashionably late 6:45, then stretched far past twilight and into darkness, after a sticky Texas day had faded into a soft summer night.

Kidd was, naturally, the guest of honor, along with his wife, Joumana, and agent, Jeff Schwartz. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was the host, having opened his house in a fashionable gated community northwest of downtown for the sales pitch he delivered along with general manager R.C. Buford. Tim Duncan was among the distinguished guests.

The Spurs had brought in a chef, who had prepared a feast that included lobster, beef, chicken, lamb and five kinds of desserts. And there, over heaping plates of food, the Spurs settled -- after months of speculation -- into the task of wooing Jason Kidd.

The dinner didn't end until 10:30, and judging from the length of the proceedings, there appears to be a mutual and genuine interest between the reigning NBA champions and the most sought-after free-agent point guard in the league.

"It was a terrific dinner, though I didn't eat everything," Kidd said as he strolled back to his hotel, then excused himself from a brief interview. "I'm pretty tired. It's late."

The Spurs had little to say publicly beyond what Popovich, who escorted Kidd back to his hotel, offered one reporter attempting to inquire about Kidd's evening:

"Go to hell," Popovich told the reporter as soon as Kidd had closed the door to his hotel room and was out of earshot. "You can quote me saying that."