Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson, a former head coach himself, drew interest from the Charlotte Hornets for their vacancy, even accepting the position with a potential four-year contract in the works. However, a report emerged on Saturday stating that Atkinson, who cited further discussions with the Hornets, informed the team he would be returning as an assistant to the Warriors' staff. Dubs head coach Steve Kerr was asked about Atkinson backing out of the Hornets' job to remain in Golden State. Here's his response, via ClutchPoints on Twitter.
"Kenny's got two kids [teenagers] who really wanted to stay⌠We're lucky to have him back especially losing Mike Brown next year, I need Kenny"
đŁď¸ Steve Kerr on why Kenny Atkinson backed out on the Charlotte Hornets' head coaching jobpic.twitter.com/8A1X5LF9kq
â ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 20, 2022
Kerr said that Atkinson has âtwo kids that really wanted to stay.â There were rumors surfacing that the former Brooklyn Nets head coach had reneged on the job due to âfamily reasonsâ, so this would certainly make sense.
The Warriors head coach went on to say that he âneeds Kennyâ, with fellow assistant Mike Brown departing for the Sacramento Kings' head coaching job.
Atkinson brings a unique element to the Warriors' coaching staff with his knack for communicating analytics and his willingness to actually take the court and participate during practices.
Clearly, Kerr has a great deal of respect and appreciation for Atkinson. Instead of helping the Hornets take the next step in the Eastern Conference, Atkinson will remain a key voice on the Warriors' bench as they attempt to defend their NBA championship in 2023.
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