DeAndre Jordan ‘shocked’ by Kenny Atkinson firing

DeAndre Jordan is pushing back against reports that said some of the Brooklyn Nets’ players were responsible for Kenny Atkinson’s firing.

Atkinson mutually parted ways with the Nets on Saturday, which came towards the end of his fourth season as the team’s head coach. One report said some Nets players wanted him fired, while another said Kyrie Irving soured on Atkinson.

Jordan, who along with Irving and Kevin Durant signed with Brooklyn over the summer, called the report about Irving pushing out Atkinson “bulls—.” Jordan said there were multiple new players on the team and thought they all should be blamed if that was the case rather than Irving be singled out.

The veteran center also said he was “shocked” over the firing.

“I was definitely shocked,” Jordan told the New York Post. “I thought Kenny did a great job with us. This is my first year with him obviously and the guys who had been here love him, so I’m sure it’s tough for them. But at the end of the day, this is a business. Coaches get fired, players get cut, traded, whatever it is. So we still have a job to do.”

Common sense tells you the new players are the reason for Atkinson’s firing. The team was doing well and improving each year with him as their head coach before the new players joined. Then after the new players were signed, Atkinson started losing influence. Do you really think the Nets would get rid of Atkinson over complaints from Jordan, Garrett Temple or Wilson Chandler? No, they’d tell those guys to get in line. However, if Irving or Durant didn’t care for Atkinson’s methods, that would likely inspire such a change.