Winning a championship does things to a man. Just ask Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson, who had a significant change of mind following his team’s NBA Finals victory.
Atkinson, who reportedly accepted a position to become the Charlotte Hornets’ head coach during the Warriors’ NBA Finals series against the Boston Celtics, has decided to remain with the Warriors, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“ESPN Sources: Kenny Atkinson has decided he won’t become the Charlotte Hornets’ head coach and will remain with Golden State as top assistant. After being offered job during the NBA Finals, further conversations led Atkinson to believe it would be best to remain with Warriors,” Wojnarowski tweeted Saturday.
Prior to his arrival in San Francisco, Atkinson served as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. His time with Brooklyn reportedly came to an end following a falling out with Kyrie Irving, leading to both sides agreeing on a mutual split.
In addition to the Warriors, Atkinson has served as an assistant for the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers.
Part of Atkinson’s hesitation for leaving Golden State could be he believes there is a lane for him to become the team’s next head coach. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has talked about retirement in the recent past, and just won his ninth NBA championship. With nothing left to prove, perhaps the day could soon come when he hands the reigns over to Atkinson.
