Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson received a ton of praise from former colleague and Houston Rockets Head coach Mike D'Antoni.
As reported by Moke Hamilton of The Athletic, D'Antoni reflected how Atkinson was the voice of reason back in their days together with the New York Knicks. It was a tough time for D'Antoni and his coaching staff as they seemingly couldn't find the winning formula for the Knicks.
“He was a voice of reason through some tough times in New York, so I didn’t have a doubt that he would do a good job,” D’Antoni said. “I had complete faith that if the opportunity had arisen, he’d be good.”
Atkinson, 51-years-old, is on his third year as the head coach of the Nets. In his first year, he led the team to a 20-62 record while on the second year, they finished with a 28-54. So far in the young season, the Nets have a decent 4-6 record. Apart from the NBA, Atkinson has coached in various countries in Europe and was also a professional baller.
Despite the subpar seasons, D'Antoni has complete confidence in Atkinson. Given his clear vision and work ethic, He believes that Atkinson will be successful at one point or another.
“I think he has a good clear understanding of how he wants to play and what he expects. He’s good with players, he’ll work them out and develop relationships and they respect him and he’s just a good coach in whatever he does. The team plays well, they have great vision, they know what they wanna do and I just think he’ll be very successful.”
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