.jpg) Atkinson as head coach of theBrooklyn Nets in 2018 | |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1967-06-02)June 2, 1967 (age 58) Northport, New York, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | St. Anthony's (South Huntington, New York) |
| College | Richmond (1986–1990) |
| NBA draft | 1990:undrafted |
| Playing career | 1990–2004 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Coaching career | 2004–present |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1990–1991 | Wichita Falls Texans |
| 1991 | Long Island Surf |
| 1991–1992 | Wichita Falls Texans |
| 1993–1995 | Real Canoe NC |
| 1995 | Vino de Toro Zamora |
| 1995–1996 | Baloncesto Salamanca |
| 1996–1997 | Calpe Aguas de Valencia |
| 1997–1998 | Pasta Baronia Napoli |
| 1998–1999 | SG Braunschweig |
| 1999–2000 | Montpellier Paillade Basket |
| 2000–2001 | AS Golbey Épinal |
| 2001 | FC Mulhouse Basket |
| 2001–2002 | Hermine de Nantes Atlantique |
| 2002 | ALM Évreux Basket |
| 2003 | DJK Würzburg |
| 2003 | Demon Astronauts |
| 2003–2004 | Hermine de Nantes Atlantique |
Coaching | |
| 2004–2006 | Paris Basket Racing (assistant) |
| 2008–2012 | New York Knicks (assistant) |
| 2012–2016 | Atlanta Hawks (assistant) |
| 2016–2020 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2020–2021 | Los Angeles Clippers (assistant) |
| 2021–2024 | Golden State Warriors (assistant) |
| 2024–present | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Career highlights | |
| As assistant coach: As head coach: | |
Kenneth Neil Atkinson (born June 2, 1967) is an American professionalbasketball coach and former player who is the head coach for theCleveland Cavaliers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He was previously the head coach of theBrooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020. Atkinson was born inNorthport, New York and played college basketball forUniversity of Richmond leading theSpiders team to an appearance in the1988 NCAA Division I tournament.
Atkinson averaged 18.9 points per game during his senior season at Richmond[1][2] and played professionally in theContinental Basketball Association (CBA) andUnited States Basketball League (USBL) from 1990 to 1992. He then went to play inItaly,[3]France,[4]Germany,[5][6]Spain,[7] and theNetherlands[8][9] from 1993 to 2004. He had tryouts with several NBA teams, including theNew York Knicks, in the summer of 1991.
He was inducted into theSuffolk Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.
Atkinson joined the New York Knicks coaching staff as an assistant coach underMike D'Antoni on August 6, 2008.[10]
In 2012, after four seasons with the Knicks, he joined theAtlanta Hawks coaching staff underMike Budenholzer. On April 17, 2016, it was announced that Atkinson would become the head coach of theBrooklyn Nets, beginning after the Hawks' postseason ended.[11]
Atkinson made his NBA head coaching debut on October 26, 2016, in a 122–117 loss to theBoston Celtics.[12] He got his first win as an NBA head coach two days later when the Nets defeated theIndiana Pacers 103–94.[13] The Nets finished the season with a 20–62 record, with a 0–10 record in February 2017.
Brook Lopez left the team in Atkinson's second season; Lopez was traded to theLos Angeles Lakers in an off-season deal. The Nets were competitive for the early part of the season before going 1–9 in February, ending any chance to be in the playoffs. They finished the season with a 28–54 record, which was an eight-game improvement from the previous season.
In Atkinson's third season with the Nets he led the team to a 42–40 record, winning 14 games more than the previous season, and a playoff berth with the sixth seed. The Nets lost to thePhiladelphia 76ers in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
In Atkinson's fourth season with the Nets he led the team to a 28–34 record, before stepping down as head coach on March 7, 2020.[14]
On November 16, 2020, Atkinson was hired as an assistant coach for theLos Angeles Clippers under head coachTyronn Lue.[15]
On August 13, 2021, theGolden State Warriors hired Atkinson as an assistant coach.[16] He won his firstNBA championship as the Warriors defeated theBoston Celtics in six games in the2022 NBA Finals. During the NBA Finals, theCharlotte Hornets offered Atkinson the position of head coach,[17] but he reportedly turned it down after informally agreeing to take the job.[18][19] On February 12, 2024, Atkinson coached the Warriors to a 129–107 victory against theUtah Jazz while head coachSteve Kerr attendedDejan Milojević's funeral inSerbia.[20][21]
On June 28, 2024, Atkinson was hired by theCleveland Cavaliers as head coach.[22] The Cavaliers started the2024–25 season with one of the longest winning streaks in NBA history, winning their first 15 games, which made Atkinson the only head coach in NBA history to win the first 15 games to start a tenure with a franchise, as Cleveland would not suffer their first loss until November 19 on the road against the defending champion, theBoston Celtics.[23][24]
In April 2025, Atkinson won theNBCA Coach of the Year Award after he led the Cavaliers to a 64–18 record during the regular season.[25] On May 5, he was namedNBA Coach of the Year.[26]
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 2016–17 | 82 | 20 | 62 | .244 | 5th inAtlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Brooklyn | 2017–18 | 82 | 28 | 54 | .341 | 5th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Brooklyn | 2018–19 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 4th in Atlantic | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | Lost infirst round |
| Brooklyn | 2019–20 | 62 | 28 | 34 | .452 | (resigned) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cleveland | 2024–25 | 82 | 64 | 18 | .780 | 1st inCentral | 9 | 5 | 4 | .556 | Lost inconference semifinals |
| Career | 390 | 182 | 208 | .467 | 14 | 6 | 8 | .429 | |||