There have been mixed reports about Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant possibly having a hand in Kenny Atkinson’s departure as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.
Given Atkinson helped take the organization from being a 20-win team to a playoff team that attracted superstars, this mutual parting of ways felt abrupt and odd. Nets general manager Sean Marks expressed the decision was not made overnight, but something he and the ex-Nets head coach discussed for a few months.
While it seems strange for Atkinson to want to step away from something he helped build over the course of multiple seasons, a report stating he wasn’t fond of coaching Durant and Irving based on what he saw this season also surfaced.
DeAndre Jordan was shocked by the news of Atkinson’s departure. But when it came to the subject of Durant and Irving being involved, the center wanted none of it.
“I think whatever you’re saying and whatever the reports are, are bull [expletive],” Jordan said when asked about the reports.
Jordan then expanded further:
“They’re just trying to get in the locker room, make it a thing about the guys who aren’t even here, you know, playing, who are getting healthy,” he told reporters. “That’s what we need to focus on is those guys getting back right so they can help our team be successful. I don’t care about — I mean no offense to you guys — I don’t care about what the media says about our team. We know what’s going on in here and where we wanna be. And this is just something to divide us as players and as an organization.”
There's some rumors that KD/Kyrie caused Kenny's firing
DeAndre: That's 🤬 pic.twitter.com/kg76gHRe2A
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 9, 2020
In addition to Saturday being the Nets first game without Atkinson, it was also Jordan’s first start for Brooklyn since January 2, and only his fifth of 2019-20.
RELATED: Kenny Atkinson ‘wasn’t fond of coaching’ Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving