Kevin Durant looked at how Kenny Atkinson handled himself in postgame interviews to help solidify his decision to join the Brooklyn Nets.
Kenny Atkinson is one of the rising stars among NBA coaches. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Kevin Durant cited the head coach as a reason for signing with the Brooklyn Nets.
KD on why he chose BROOKLYN. #NETSonYES pic.twitter.com/UVMKs5VhG3
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 27, 2019
“I was doing a lot of YouTube research on Kenny Atkinson and watching interviews to see how he talked after games and stuff,” Durant told reporters on Monday at media day. “I really liked his approach to his craft as a coach and that’s what drew me in pretty quickly.”
Durant would admit that he didn’t do a ton of research into coaches of other teams. Nonetheless, Atkinson made an impression on the superstar.
“I didn’t really do too much research on other coaches so I guess he always had the leg up. But once I started to get comfortable with how he approaches his craft, it started to make me feel at ease even though I’d never had a conversation with him. I could just see through YouTube and the clips that he was pretty genuine about the game.”
Of course, the Nets are not putting any pressure on Durant to return this season. The team plans to give the forward as much time as he needs to recover from the Achilles injury he suffered in the NBA Finals.
With all that said, the Nets won’t reach their true ceiling into his back on the floor. How Atkinson uses Durant offensively is one thing Nets fans will have to wait to see.
