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Will Atkinson is the name of an American college basketball player for the Yale Bulldogs and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida, and played basketball at Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. However, there is also a basketball coach by the name of Kenny Atkinson, who is the head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. Kenny Atkinson was born in Huntington, New York, and played college basketball for the University of Richmond. He later played professionally in the Continental Basketball Association and the United States Basketball League. It appears that these are the two individuals with the name Atkinson who are involved in basketball.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kenneth Neil Atkinson |
| Date of Birth | June 2, 1967 |
| Occupation | Basketball coach, former player |
| Teams Coached | Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers |
| Awards | Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award |
| College | University of Richmond |
| Teams Played For | Continental Basketball Association, United States Basketball League, various overseas teams |
| Paul Atkinson (Basketball player) | American professional basketball player |
| Date of Birth | March 27, 1999 |
| Teams Played For | Kortrijk Spurs, Yale Bulldogs, Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
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What You'll Learn
Kenny Atkinson's basketball career
Kenny Atkinson is an American professional basketball coach and former player. Born in Huntington, New York, on June 2, 1967, Atkinson played college basketball for the University of Richmond, leading the Spiders team to the 1988 NCAA Division I tournament. During his senior year at Richmond, he averaged 18.9 points per game.
Following his college career, Atkinson played professionally in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and the United States Basketball League (USBL) from 1990 to 1992. He also had tryouts with several NBA teams, including the New York Knicks, in the summer of 1991. From 1993 to 2004, Atkinson took his talents overseas, playing in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.
Atkinson's coaching career began in 2016 when he was appointed as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. In his second season with the Nets, they showed early competitiveness but finished with a 28-54 record, missing the playoffs. However, in his third season, Atkinson led the Nets to a 42-40 record and their first playoff appearance during his tenure, where they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. In his fourth and final season with the Nets, the team finished with a 28-34 record, and Atkinson stepped down as head coach on March 7, 2020.
After his time with the Nets, Atkinson served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2020-2021 season. He then joined the Golden State Warriors as an assistant coach in 2021, winning his first NBA championship with them in 2022. Atkinson was offered the head coaching position by the Charlotte Hornets during the 2022 NBA Finals but declined the offer. In 2024, he was hired as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading them to an impressive 15-game winning streak to start the 2024-25 season. Atkinson's success with the Cavaliers earned him the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award in 2025.
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Paul Atkinson Jr.'s college basketball
Paul St. Aubyn Atkinson Jr., born on March 27, 1999, is an American professional basketball player. Atkinson played college basketball for the Yale Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Atkinson grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida, and attended Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
As a junior at Westminster Academy, Atkinson led his team to the Class 3A state championship game, where they were defeated by Windermere Prep. He committed to playing college basketball for Yale at the beginning of his senior year, after attracting interest from Dayton, UNC-Wilmington, and Richmond. During his senior year, Atkinson averaged 20.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, and was named the Sun-Sentinel South Florida Player of the Year.
Atkinson was a starter for Yale as a true freshman, averaging 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, he primarily came off the bench, averaging 9.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Prior to his junior season, Atkinson focused on improving his physicality, gaining 20 pounds and working on his athleticism. His efforts paid off, as he was named the Ivy League Co-Player of the Year alongside Penn's A. J. Brodeur. That season, he averaged 17.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while also leading the Ivy League with a .630 field goal percentage during the regular season.
Following the cancellation of the 2020-2021 Ivy League season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Atkinson entered the transfer portal. He ultimately chose to transfer to Notre Dame as a graduate transfer, turning down offers from Miami (Florida), Iowa, NC State, and Texas.
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Kenny Atkinson's NBA coaching career
Kenny Atkinson is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Atkinson was born in Huntington, New York, and played college basketball for the University of Richmond, leading the Spiders team to an appearance in the 1988 NCAA Division I tournament.
Atkinson's NBA coaching career began in 2012 when he joined the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff under Mike Budenholzer. After four seasons with the Hawks, he was named the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets in 2016. He made his NBA head coaching debut on October 26, 2016, in a loss to the Boston Celtics. In his second season with the Nets, Brook Lopez was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the team finished with a 28-54 record. In his third season, Atkinson led the Nets to a 42-40 record and a playoff berth, but they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. In his fourth and final season with the Nets, the team finished with a 28-34 record, and Atkinson stepped down as head coach on March 7, 2020.
Following his departure from the Nets, Atkinson served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers under head coach Tyronn Lue during the 2020-21 season. On August 13, 2021, he joined the Golden State Warriors as an assistant coach and won his first NBA championship with the team in 2022. During the NBA Finals, the Charlotte Hornets offered Atkinson their head coach position, but he reportedly turned it down.
On June 28, 2024, Atkinson was hired as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his first season with the team, the Cavaliers started with one of the longest winning streaks in NBA history, winning their first 15 games. Atkinson was named the NBCA Coach of the Year in 2025 for his achievements with the Cavaliers, leading the team to the top spot in the East during his first season.
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Kenny Atkinson's time with the Brooklyn Nets
Kenny Atkinson was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020. Atkinson was born in Huntington, New York, and played college basketball for the University of Richmond, leading the Spiders team to an appearance in the 1988 NCAA Division I tournament. He then played professionally in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and the United States Basketball League (USBL) from 1990 to 1992, followed by stints overseas in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands from 1993 to 2004. Atkinson joined the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff in 2012 and became the head coach of the Nets in 2016.
During his first season with the Nets, the team finished with a 20-62 record, with a 0-10 record in February 2017. In his second season, the Nets improved to a 28-54 record, an eight-game improvement from the previous season, but still missed the playoffs. Atkinson's third season with the Nets saw a significant jump as they finished with a 42-40 record and secured a playoff berth as the sixth seed. However, they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. In his fourth and final season with the Nets, Atkinson led the team to a 28-34 record before stepping down as head coach on March 7, 2020.
Atkinson played a pivotal role in developing young talents like D'Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, and Joe Harris into legitimate NBA contributors. Despite his success in player development, the Nets decided to part ways with Atkinson after acquiring superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2019. The organisation and the newly acquired stars felt that Atkinson was not the right fit to lead a championship-contending roster.
After leaving the Nets, Atkinson joined the Los Angeles Clippers as an assistant coach under Tyronn Lue for the 2020-21 season. He then spent three successful years as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, winning his first NBA championship in 2022. Atkinson was offered the head coach position by the Charlotte Hornets during the 2022 NBA Finals but turned it down. On June 28, 2024, Atkinson was hired as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading them to one of the longest winning streaks in NBA history to start a season. In April 2025, Atkinson was honoured with the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award for his remarkable achievements with the Cavaliers.
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Kenny Atkinson's awards
Kenny Atkinson is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Atkinson was born in Huntington, New York, and played college basketball for the University of Richmond, leading the Spiders team to an appearance in the 1988 NCAA Division I tournament.
Atkinson has received numerous awards and honours throughout his coaching career. Here is a detailed overview of some of his notable awards:
NBCA Coach of the Year Award
In April 2025, Atkinson was named the recipient of the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award. This award is presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) and voted on by the head coaches of all 30 NBA teams. Atkinson earned this prestigious recognition in his first season as head coach of the Cavaliers, leading the team to exceptional success. The Cavaliers achieved the best record in the Eastern Conference and the second-best record overall in the NBA, showcasing Atkinson's impactful coaching abilities.
Eastern Conference Coach of the Month Award
During the 2024-25 season, Atkinson and the Cavaliers coaching staff were twice awarded the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month Award. They received this recognition for their outstanding performance during the months of October/November and December. This award is a testament to the consistent excellence demonstrated by Atkinson and his coaching staff.
Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame
In addition to his NBA coaching accolades, Atkinson was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in 2020. This honour recognises his outstanding contributions to sports in the Suffolk County region.
Atkinson has also achieved success as an assistant coach in the NBA. He was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors during their 2022 NBA championship victory. Atkinson's strategic insights and coaching abilities have contributed to the success of multiple NBA franchises, making him a well-respected figure in the league.
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