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Kenny Atkinson was awarded NBA Coach of the Year on Monday.
The 57-year-old head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers has received the esteemed Red Auerbach Trophy.
Prior to this recognition, he was named one of the finalists, competing against J.B. Bickerstaff from the Detroit Pistons and Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets.
Atkinson triumphed in a global media panel that comprised 100 voters, accumulating 59 first-place votes, 33 second-place votes, and seven third-place votes, totaling 401 points.
Bickerstaff finished in second place with 305 points, while Udoka secured 113 points. Other coaches who received votes include Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers, and J.J. Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Having played professionally in Europe for several years and beginning his coaching journey as an assistant at Paris Basket Racing in 2004, Atkinson also served as an assistant for the French national team under Vincent Collet during the 2024 Olympic Games, where they earned a silver medal in Paris.
During the 2024-25 NBA regular season, his guidance helped the Cavaliers achieve a remarkable 64-18 record, securing first place in the Eastern Conference standings in his inaugural season with the Ohio franchise. In the 2025 Playoffs presented by Google, his team achieved a sweep against the Miami Heat in the first round but fell to the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series in the Conference Semifinals.
Originally from New York, Atkinson transitioned from a role as an assistant with the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks to head coaching the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020. He also celebrated an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors, where he served as an assistant under Steve Kerr from 2021 to 2024.
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