Warriors could lose top assistant coach to Western rival?
Jan 18, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
As the Golden State Warriors prepare for their first-round playoff series against the Sacramento Kings, one of their lead assistants is also preparing for an interview with a rival team.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on Tuesday that the Houston Rockets have received permission from the Warriors to interview associate head coach Kenny Atkinson. The Rockets are looking for a new head coach after recently letting go of Stephen Silas, who had coached the team for the last three seasons.
Atkinson has been an assistant with the Warriors since 2021, helping them win the NBA title last season. Prior to that, Atkinson served as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets for four seasons, going 118-190 (.383) overall. Granted, Brooklyn was in a rebuild era under Atkinson, and he was able to develop young players such as Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and D’Angelo Russell en route to a playoff appearance in 2019.
The 55-year-old Atkinson nearly left the Warriors for a different NBA head coaching job last season. While the young Rockets also have some bigger-name candidates in mind, it would not be surprising to see Atkinson get another job offer in due time.
