For a brief moment, it seemed like the Golden State Warriors were going to lose assistant coach Kenny Atkinson.
Atkinson was offered the head coaching position for the Charlotte Hornets and all signs pointed to him packing his bags and heading out east.
But he had a sudden change of heart and decided to stick around in the Bay Area under Steve Kerr.
Andrew Wiggins on Kenny Atkinson's return: "He gave up a head coaching job to come back and be a part of this thing we got here. It's amazing. It shows that all we got here is a bunch of people that want to win, that are on the same page. And we're looking forward to the future."
— C.J. Holmes 🦹🏾♂️ (@CjHolmes22) June 18, 2022
Turning down such a big opportunity is quite a statement and Warriors player Andrew Wiggins is well aware of that.
Wiggins spoke about Atkinson’s commitment to the team, saying, “He gave up a head coaching job to come back and be a part of this thing we got here. It’s amazing. It shows that all we got here is a bunch of people that want to win, that are on the same page. And we’re looking forward to the future.”
Wiggins is right: everyone involved with the Warriors wants to win – and that’s exactly what they’re doing.
Another Ring
The Warriors’ latest championship is an impressive reminder that they have been good for years now.
Yes, they had a couple of seasons that were rough but those were mostly due to injuries.
When you look at it that way, it’s hard to argue that the Warriors aren’t the most dominant franchise in the modern NBA.
And a large part of that is because of the coaching staff.
While it is true that Kerr runs the show and officially calls all the shots, his entire coaching staff is essential.
Atkinson has been doing terrific work for the team for a few years now and everyone from Kerr to Wiggins to numerous other players have said how important he is.
They’re all elated that he’s sticking around.
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