The Charlotte Hornets decided to enter the NBA’s coaching carousel earlier this offseason when the team ended James Borrego’s tenure at the helm. After a lengthy search, multiple reports indicate that the Hornets have decided to make Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson an NBA head coach for the second time in his career.
Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the news, and reported that Atkinson — who was considered a finalist for the position alongside Mike D’Antoni — met with the team’s decision-makers on Wednesday ahead of his appointment.
The Charlotte Hornets are closing in on Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as the franchise’s next head coach, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 10, 2022
Atkinson met with Charlotte Hornets officials — including owner Michael Jordan — on Wednesday and the franchise has decided on the former Nets coach as its new head coach, sources said. Atkinson brings development and defensive structure to a young and talented roster. https://t.co/MqlwGJxzz9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 10, 2022
The news was confirmed by Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer, while Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that Atkinson will get a four-year contract.
BREAKING: The #Hornets have reached an agreement in principle to make Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson their new head coach, league sources told @theobserver.
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) June 10, 2022
Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson has agreed to a four-year deal to become the new coach of the Charlotte Hornets, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 10, 2022
Atkinson joined Steve Kerr’s staff in San Francisco ahead of this season. Prior to that, Atkinson spent three and a half years as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, where he received praise for developing the team’s core of young players and eventually turning them into a playoff team in 2019. He spent part of one season as the team’s coach in the aftermath of Brooklyn acquiring Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but the two sides mutually parted ways in March of 2020. Atkinson boasts a 118-190 record as a head coach.
Last season, Charlotte went 43-39 but failed to make it out of the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference.
