It was four years ago that Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan resolved, if the fates allowed, to become NBA teammates.
It took them a while, but they got their wish last summer when they all made their way to the Brooklyn Nets.
It took Nets coach Kenny Atkinson 63 games to be escorted to the door.
So much for the amazing culture former Nets Coach Kenny Atkinson built in Brooklyn, prompting Irving, Durant and Jordan to choose them over Knicks. Everyone is so full of it in this new NBA.
— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) March 7, 2020
Atkinson never coached Durant — who is out for the season after surgery on his Achilles tendon — in an actual game. Irving was limited to 20 games before undergoing shoulder surgery.
Jordan? He seemed like the strap-hanger of the group. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Atkinson’s departure has the smell of a coup. Per Yahoo’s Vincent Goodwill:
“Irving soured on Atkinson early, league sources told Yahoo Sports, and currently prefers Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue to be the team’s next head coach. Lue was the head coach in Cleveland when Irving hit the winning shot in the 2016 NBA Finals.”
Writes Goodwill: “There seemed to be friction from the start, dating back to when the team’s rigid methods seemed to clash with the individual equity stars like Irving built up through years of on-court success.”
Yep, that’s Irving’s MO.
Kyrie Irving is about to be on his 7th head coach in 9 NBA seasons. Wild.
— Greg Swartz (@GregSwartzBR) March 7, 2020
Durant’s participation in greasing the skids of a head coach would be a surprise. In Oklahoma City, Durant played for head coach Scott Brooks for seven seasons and Billy Donovan for one (after which Durant bolted for the Warriors). K.D. played for Golden State coach Steve Kerr for three apparently harmonious campaigns. That’s not the profile of a coach killer. But wait:
“Multiple sources told Yahoo Sports that Atkinson wasn’t fond of coaching Durant and Irving based on what he saw this season, and would rather something happen now than at the end of the season,” Goodwill wrote.
And Yahoo’s Chris Csik chimed in:
“The Nets held a spirited team meeting, according to sources, starting with several veterans expressing that they wanted to see Spencer Dinwiddie play like the player they know, and later with people in the room calling out Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan. Then perhaps the most critical thing of all happened: Sources say Durant chimed in, pointing out that the Nets must improve their habits and that they were not building the proper culture traits necessary for a title contender.
“Durant’s comments weren’t the final nail in the coffin for Atkinson, but — given his star status — Durant’s opinions carry a lot of weight within the organization. Durant and Irving may not be running the Nets, but their opinions matter.”
Finally, this take from The Athletic: “Durant and Irving never connected with Atkinson and there was a growing belief that they did not have interest in playing for him when this team is whole again next season, sources told The Athletic.”
Kevin, we hardly knew ye.