Kenny Atkinson: The Hispanic who has restored hope to the Cleveland Cavaliers

One of the biggest storylines of the NBA regular season has been the consistently strong performances by the Cleveland Cavaliers whenever they face off against their rivals. There's no denying that the team has earned its place among the top contenders for the championship now that the playoffs are just around the corner.

After years away from the spotlight, the Cavaliers appear to have reclaimed the status they once held during the era of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love—when they reached four straight NBA Finals, winning one and falling to the powerhouse Golden State Warriors in the others.

Since the start of the regular season, the Cavaliers have remained relentless, potentially finishing with no more than 20 losses over 82 games. It would be easy to credit stars like Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, or Jarrett Allen for the team’s success—but there's more to the story.

But we must also recognize the man guiding them from the sidelines—the one drawing up plays and steering the team’s strategy: Kenny Atkinson. Interestingly, despite being American-born, he carries a Hispanic connection, holding a Spanish passport.

Kenny Atkinson's Hispanic background

The architect of this Cavaliers team, Kenny Atkinson, was born in New York in 1967. Despite a promising playing career—highlighted by his time at the University of Richmond—he never made the leap to the NBA, going undrafted in 1990. Instead, after a brief stint in lower-tier American leagues, Atkinson took his talents overseas, continuing his basketball journey far from U.S. courts.

In 1992, at 26 years old, Atkinson made the decision to cross the Atlantic and continue his basketball career in a new culture. He landed in Spain, where he spent four years playing for four different teams in four different cities. With one of them—Club Baloncesto Salamanca—he even logged a few minutes in the ACB League, Spain’s top-tier basketball competition.

Atkinson’s time in Spain came to an end in 1997, but it left a lasting impact beyond basketball. During his stay, he met the woman who would become his wife—a native of Seville. After their marriage, Atkinson obtained a Spanish passport, which is how he came to hold Hispanic status.

After his stint in Spain, the current Cavaliers head coach continued his playing career across Europe, with stops in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and France—where he eventually retired as a member of Hermine de Nantes Atlantique.

Two decades on the bench and a championship title 

Although Atkinson retired from playing professionally, he remained closely connected to basketball, transitioning to a coaching role. Before returning to the United States, he served as an assistant coach for Paris Basket Racing in France’s top league from 2004 to 2006.

In 2008, Atkinson returned to the NBA as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks under Mike D'Antoni, where he spent four seasons. During this time, he had the opportunity to learn from one of the most memorable coaches in NBA history.

After closing the Knicks chapter, Atkinson joined the Atlanta Hawks as an assistant under Larry Drew and Mike Budenholzer. In his final year in Georgia, he gained his first head coaching experience, taking the reins of the Dominican Republic national team.

At the end of the 2015-2016 season, Atkinson received his first opportunity to lead an NBA franchise as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. He stayed with the team until 2020. The first two seasons were challenging, but in the final two, he led the Nets to the Playoffs, although they were eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors.

On March 7, 2020, Atkinson was let go by the Nets, but just eight months later, he returned to an NBA bench, this time as an assistant coach. He first joined Tyronn Lue’s staff with the Los Angeles Clippers, and later, Steve Kerr brought him on board with the Golden State Warriors. In this role, Atkinson helped the Warriors secure the championship in the 2022 Finals.

Last summer, a new opportunity came his way when the Cleveland Cavaliers offered him the head coaching position—an offer he gladly accepted. In his first season, Atkinson has kept the Ohio franchise at the top of the Eastern Conference, even surpassing the reigning NBA champions, the Boston Celtics, throughout the regular season. His leadership has restored hope to a team that has been distant from the league's elite rosters for years. Additionally, he led the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game.