Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has been named the National Basketball Association (NBA) Coach of the Year following a remarkable debut season with the Cavs.
Atkinson edged out strong contenders, including J.B. Bickerstaff, his predecessor in Cleveland, and Ime Udoka, to win the award.
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Though relatively new to a head coaching role, Atkinson made an immediate and powerful impact. After departing his assistant coaching role at the Golden State Warriors, he took over the Cavaliers following Bickerstaff’s dismissal last year.
In his first season, Atkinson led Cleveland to a sensational 15-0 start, one of three separate winning streaks of at least 12 games by the team this season.
Under his guidance, the Cavaliers finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 64-18, a 780 win percentage, marking a 16-game improvement over the previous season.
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“I stepped into this,” Atkinson said. “I keep saying that I stepped into this. It’s a little bit of luck, too, right?”
The 64 wins are the second most in franchise history, trailing only the 66-win campaign under Mike Brown in 2008/09. Atkinson also becomes the fourth coach in NBA history to notch 64 victories in his first season.
He joins an elite group of Cavaliers coaches to win the NBA Coach of the Year award, following Hall of Famer Bill Fitch in 1976 and Mike Brown in 2009.
While Atkinson inherited a talented roster, his leadership elevated Cleveland to new heights in the 2024/25 season, transforming a playoff-calibre team into a dominant Eastern Conference force.
