Nets video: Spencer Dinwiddie's details 'resistance' to Kenny Atkinson

Spencer Dinwiddie explained that being in an alpha-dominated environment may have contributed to the team's resistance to Kenny Atkinson.

Kenny Atkinson had led the Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs last season. This year, he was helping keeping them in contention despite a myriad of injuries.

Performance was not the reason Atkinson and the Nets mutually agreed to part ways on Saturday morning. Instead, Atkinson is out because some of the players in the locker room soured on his coaching methods.

Nets combo guard Spencer Dinwiddie said disagreements between coaches and players are natural in the NBA:

“This is the NBA. Disagreements happen in alpha-male dominated environment with a lot of testosterone in a highly competitive situation”

Dinwiddie also noted former Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson often had pushback with Atkinson. This year was not the start of any frustrations:

But despite Dinwiddie's claims, it is easy to wonder whether certain stars are influencing front office decisions.

Nets point guard Kyrie Irving reportedly “soured” on Atkinson early in the year. And it bears noting that the Nets have invested quite a bit of their future in Kyrie and Kevin Durant:

Kyrie Irving ‘soured’ on Kenny Atkinson early in the season and currently prefers Tyronn Lue to be the Nets’ next head coach, per @VinceGoodwill

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) March 8, 2020

Remember, Irving and Durant were also instrumental in convincing Brooklyn's front office to bring in veteran center DeAndre Jordan. The two stars would seem to have plenty of say in terms of day-to-day operations, for better or worse.

As Dinwiddie said, these things can happen when a bunch of “alpha males” are in the same room.

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