With Kenny Atkinson and the Brooklyn Nets parting ways, the aftermath of the news has produced murmurs of how the team viewed him.
Nets guard Caris LeVert gave his opinion on the subject Saturday and spoke to media. Per the Nets’ Twitter account, LeVert said he felt Atkinson was respected in the locker room.
“I feel like everybody had a lot of respect for him,” LeVert said. “Obviously he coached guys at different levels, too. I think he was with Wilson (Chandler), different level of his career. Myself, Joe (Harris) and Spencer (Dinwiddie), relationship for four years. So everyone kind of had a different relationship with him.”
Caris LeVert addresses the media https://t.co/DB3BsT8Clv
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 7, 2020
According to Anthony Puccio of Nets Daily, some Nets players did not want Atkinson to be the coach anymore. Atkinson began coaching the team in the 2016-17 season, and he finished with a record of 118-190.
Source tells me in regards to Kenny Atkinson’s departure: “(Some) of the players wanted him gone.”
— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) March 7, 2020
As a four-year wing, LeVert said he had a good relationship with Atkinson. LeVert is averaging a career-high 17.5 points per game and shooting a career-high 37.1% from the 3-point line. Each year of his career, LeVert’s points per game numbers have gone up.
“He’s huge for my development on and off the court,” LeVert said. “From day one we were together, so obviously it hurts, but that’s part of the business.”
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