The Charlotte Hornets are hiring Kenny Atkinson to replace James Borrego as their head coach, according to Shams Charania. Borrego met with Hornets officials Wednesday—including owner Michael Jordan—and sealed the deal then. Former Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni was also considered a finalist for the Hornets’ job. Atkinson’s deal will last four years, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
Atkinson, who came up in the league under Mike Budenholzer, made his name as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-2020. He took over a team with virtually no draft capital or incumbent talent and helped build them into a playoff team. So impressed by Brooklyn’s rebuild were Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving that they decided to join the Nets as free agents in 2019. That, however, proved to be Atkinson’s undoing, as he failed to forge a strong relationship with his new veterans and was ultimately fired midway through the 2019-20 season.
The Charlotte Hornets are closing in on Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as the franchise’s next head coach, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 10, 2022
JUST IN — The Charlotte Hornets are closing in on naming Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as the franchise’s next head coach, sources tell @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/t3sSzpFi69
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 10, 2022