NEW YORK (AP) — Kenny Atkinson does not get on an exercise bike to watch losses at 4:30 a.m. like he did early in his time as coach of the Brooklyn Nets. He has found that transition beneficial for his health and his win-loss record.
Atkinson returned as a head coach to Brooklyn with his new team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Monday. The 57-year-old, who led the Nets for four seasons, is now coaching the team with the NBA’s best record.
Atkinson, a Long Islander who was inducted into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in 2020 and started his post-playing career as a Knicks assistant, was hired by the Nets in 2016. They went 48-116 in his first two seasons, which fed his early-morning workouts and desire to prove he belonged.
“I was a little crazy,” Atkinson said before Monday night'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.
“It was almost like we’re at the bottom. We’re the worst team in the league. There was a desperation to get better.”
The Nets improved, going 42-40 and reaching the postseason in his third season, but Atkinson was let go during the 2019-20 season.
He spent the next four seasons as an assistant, one with the Los Angeles Clippers and three with Golden State, winning 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 said he has started delegating more responsibility to his assistants, and his coaching evolution has clearly benefited the Cavaliers. Atkinson and the Cavs won their first 15 games, the most in NBA history for a coach with a new team, and they have not stopped winning, sitting ahead of the defending champion Boston Celtics atop the Eastern Conference.
The Cavs' Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert played for Atkinson in Brooklyn and have seen his evolution.
“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 brought back fond memories of basketball-mad 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.”
This story has been updated to correct that Atkinson was let go during the 2019-20 season.
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Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson gestures in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — The final day of the Bundesliga season brings a Champions League shootout as Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and Freiburg battle it out for the last two qualifying spots for Europe's biggest club competition.
Bayern Munich secured the title two weeks ago, and its players were pictured partying on the Spanish island of Ibiza following the trophy presentation at last week's home game. Bayern may look at resting players bound for the Nations League and Club World Cup in coming weeks. Bayer Leverkusen will finish second, no matter what happens in coach Xabi Alonso's last game.
All of Saturday's nine games kick off at the same time on a hectic final day.
— Dortmund hosts already-relegated Holstein Kiel and a win will almost certainly be enough for it to qualify for the Champions League. That would complete a remarkable comeback for a team which was 11th in mid-March.
— Fourth-place Freiburg hosts third-place Frankfurt with a Champions League spot on the line. Freiburg will qualify for the first time ever with a win, while Frankfurt is safe with a win or draw. Both qualify if Dortmund can't beat Kiel.
— Alonso's Leverkusen was beaten by Dortmund in his last home game but a visit to Mainz offers the chance to sign off with a win.
— After his emotional farewell to Bayern's fans at home last week, Thomas Müller can mark his 503rd — and possibly last — Bundesliga game at Hoffenheim. The experienced forward is leaving Bayern when his contract expires following the Club World Cup in the United States in June and July.
— If Dortmund can qualify for the Champions League again, it will have striker Serhou Guirassy to thank. He's scored 20 Bundesliga goals this season and five in the last four games.
— Ritsu Doan is the closest Freiburg has to a star in a team of hard-working, experienced players. His nine goals are the most of any Freiburg player in the league this season, and the Japanese winger has eight assists too.
— Stuttgart's midfielder Angelo Stiller is out of Saturday's game against Leipzig with an ankle ligament injury. The club hopes he can return for next week's German Cup final.
— Eric Dier is bidding farewell to Bayern after the England defender signed for Monaco on Wednesday. Forward Leroy Sané has just weeks left on his Bayern contract, though reports in German media indicate the forward may yet sign an extension.
— It's not just Xabi Alonso who could be on the move. Leverkusen's team could look very different next season as speculation swirls about the future of star attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, who's been linked with Bayern and other leading European clubs. Wing back Jeremie Frimpong has been linked with Liverpool.
— Dortmund has made defender Daniel Svensson's loan move from Nordsjaelland permanent after a strong second half of the season. The left back signed a four-year contract Wednesday.
“I demand that we approach every game as if it were a Champions League game.” — Dortmund coach Niko Kovac.
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Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike, right, and St. Pauli's Carlo Boukhalfa, left, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC St. Pauli in Frankfurt, Germany, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Arne Dedert/dpa via AP)
Freiburg's Vincenzo Grifo, front, and his teammates celebrate after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Holstein Kiel and SC Freiburg in Kiel, Germany, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Claus Bergmann/dpa via AP)
Dortmund's players celebrate in front of their fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in Leverkusen, Germany, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa via AP)