Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson named NBA Coach of the Year

In his first year with the Cavaliers, Atkinson led the franchise to a 64-18 record and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Atkinson was hired by Cleveland after a three-year stint as one of Steve Kerr’s top assistants with Golden State. Atkinson, who was also an assistant with three other NBA franchises, was Brooklyn’s head coach from 2016-20.

The Pistons’ J.B. Bickerstaff and the Rockets’ Ime Udoka were the other finalists. Atkinson received 59 of the 100 first-place votes from the global media panel. He accumulated 401 points in the voting. Bickerstaff received 31 first-place votes and 305 points to finish second, while Udoka had seven first-place votes and 113 points.

After getting fired by the Cavs at the end of last season, Bickerstaff resurfaced in Detroit, where he led the Pistons to a stunning turnaround. Under Bickerstaff’s guidance, the Pistons improved from a franchise-worst 14 victories to 44 victories and a berth in the playoffs.

The Rockets finished second in the Western Conference with a 52-30 record, an 11-game improvement over their 2023-24 campaign.

Atkinson is the first Cavaliers coach to win the award since Mike Brown earned that distinction in 2009.