Kenny Atkinson no longer wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to exercise and watch losses, as he did during his early years coaching the Brooklyn Nets. He believes this change has been good for both his health and his coaching success.
Atkinson made his return to Brooklyn on Monday as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 57-year-old, who coached the Nets for four seasons, is now leading the team with the best record in the NBA.
Atkinson, who grew up on Long Island and was inducted into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in 2020, started his coaching career as an assistant with the Knicks. He was hired by the Nets in 2016. In his first two seasons, the Nets struggled, going 48-116, which led Atkinson to push himself hard with early-morning workouts and a strong desire to prove himself.
“I was a little crazy,” Atkinson said before Monday’s game. “I was desperate to make it. I didn’t want to fail. I really got after it, but I knew even after two years in Brooklyn, it was bad for my health.”
The Nets improved during his third season, going 42-40 and making the playoffs. However, Atkinson was fired after the team missed the playoffs in the pandemic-affected 2019-2020 season.
After that, Atkinson spent four years as an assistant coach, one with the Los Angeles Clippers and three with the Golden State Warriors, where he won an NBA title in 2022 alongside Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
“The journey after Brooklyn really helped me grow as a coach,” Atkinson said. “But I will tell you I’m competitive, and when you have setbacks, you remember things, right? … You’re motivated to prove people wrong.”
Atkinson has learned to delegate more tasks to his assistants, and his growth as a coach has paid off with the Cavaliers. Under his leadership, the Cavs won their first 15 games, setting an NBA record for the most wins by a coach with a new team, and they remain in first place in the Eastern Conference, ahead of the defending champion Boston Celtics.
Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert, who both played for Atkinson in Brooklyn, have seen his development as a coach.
“I yell at (LeVert) every once in a while just to keep him on his toes,” Atkinson joked. “I do feel freedom to coach those guys harder … because that’s how they want to be coached.”
Atkinson’s return to Brooklyn also brought back memories of the basketball culture in New York City.
“It’s a great basketball city. Brooklyn breathes basketball,” Atkinson said. “You walk into a deli, or you walk into a pizza joint, and people know the game and they love the game.”
