Kenny Atkinson stays with the Golden State Warriors as assistant coach

Kenny Atkinson (Google Images)

According to Rogers Sportsnet on Saturday, National Basketball Association coach Kenny Atkinson of Northport, New York has changed his mind and will remain an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, the 2022 NBA Finals champions. On June 12, Atkinson had initially come to terms with the Charlotte Hornets as their new head coach, but did not officially sign a contract.

The Hornets are in need of a new head coach after firing James Borrego on April 22. Hornets owner Michael Jordan, considered the greatest basketball player ever played by The Sporting Base, was reportedly very upset with the Hornets’ poor performance in the NBA Play-In tournament, where they were clobbered 132-103 by the Atlanta Hawks in the 9-10 game. 

Charlotte finished the 2021-22 NBA regular season at 43 wins and 39 losses, the same record as the Hawks. Even though they reached the play-in tournament, Charlotte did not officially make the playoffs.

The Hornets are reportedly considering two candidates at this time to take over from Borrego. One is Mike D’Antoni of Mullens, West Virginia, and the other is Terry Stotts of Cedar Falls, Iowa.

D’Antoni, who is 71 years of age, and Stotts, who is 64 years of age, have plenty of NBA head coaching experience. D’Antoni has been the head coach for the Denver Nuggets (1998-99), Phoenix Suns (2003-08), New York Knicks (2008-12), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-14), and Houston Rockets (2016-20). This past year D’Antoni was an advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans. Stotts, meanwhile was the head coach for the Atlanta Hawks from 2002 to 2004, the Milwaukee Bucks from 2005 to 2007, and the Portland Trail Blazers from 2012 to 2021.

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