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Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson has yet to have many wins to his name, but the 51-year-old is still fueled by what could happen if he fails to do his very best.
“I’m more of a fear of losing (kind of guy),” Atkinson told Michael Scotto of The Athletic. “That’s more my personality. It’s kind of like that (VHS) videotape. The fear of failure, that fear of embarrassment.
“I’m definitely fueled more by the fear of losing and the fear of doing a bad job. I don’t want people to look back, especially being from New York, I’m like, ‘Man, he did a good job.’ There’s no need to be carried up in a parade, or in arms like I’m the savior or anything. That’s not my dream. If I have a dream it’s, ‘Oh, s**t, we just lost by five. What could I have done better?’”
The Nets have won 20 and 28 games, respectively, in his two seasons at the helm, but Atkinson was handed a rebuilding roster, one which was mired with two unforeseen injuries to their two best guards in D'Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin.
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Lin suffered a devastating season-ending injury during his season debut, only a day after Gordon Hayward suffered a similar one during his debut with the Boston Celtics.
Russell missed 34 games with his own knee injury, but was also knocked off an incredible rhythm he had going into the season. He was putting up 21 points per game before hitting the shelf.
Atkinson's fear of failure will be an important factor in driving this team to a better standing, as general manager Sean Marks is expecting to use his cap space to attract big-time free agents in 2019.
