From being fired by the Nets to being the best of the year, Atkinson s basketball counterattack

The cruel beginning of the basketball world

In the NBA, the spotlight is often focused on the stars who are galloping. Every wonderful goal they scored and every domineering dunk could arouse the audience's cheers. However, behind Honor, the team's head coaching group is silently under tremendous pressure. The coach is like the team's behind the scenes commander, carefully planning every game, formulating tactical strategies, and leading the team towards victory. But this profession is full of uncertainty and cruelty, and its fate often undergoes subversive changes in an instant.

Every spring, it can be a serious test for NBA coaches, and it can be called the "black season" in the coaching world. Management's decisions are like the hanging sword of Damocles, which may fall at any time. The tide of layoffs before the 2024-25 season is more turbulent and ruthless than ever.

Mike Brown, the coach who just renewed his contract with the Sacramento Kings until the 2026-27 season last summer, thought he would find a stable home with the Kings. However, fate played a cruel joke on it. In December, he was preparing to fly to Los Angeles for a away game, thinking about how to lead the team to win in the subsequent matches, but suddenly received a notice of dismissal. At that time, all his plans and expectations were instantly vain. The experience of Taylor Jenkins is also touching. In March, the Memphis Grizzlies were in a critical period of playoff competition, with every game being crucial, and he was fired from the team at this moment. The team was instantly confused in the future, and he had to face unemployment difficulties and reexamine his coaching career.

Michael Malone's dismissal was even more shocking. The Denver Nuggets suddenly made the decision to fire him when they had only three games left to the end of the season. You know, he is a meritorious coach who led the Nuggets to win the championship in 2022. The former glory seemed so powerless at this moment, and he also became another victim of the coach's layoffs.

Mike Budenholzer signed a five-year contract with the Phoenix Suns, which ended in just one year. He led the Bucks to the championship in 2021 and should have a solid position in the coaching world. But on the NBA stage full of variables, nothing is possible, and he has not escaped the fate of being fired.

These are just some of the many cases of coaching being dismissed. Frank Vogel led the Lakers to the championship in 2020, but lost two jobs in four years. These facts deeply reveal the cruel reality of the NBA coaching career: even if you have achieved brilliant achievements, you cannot ensure that you can stay in a stable position.

Kenny Atkinson was also not spared in this cruel layoff storm. The lonely scene of his time when he was fired by the Nets is still impressive. That was his first NBA head coaching job. He had dreams and hoped to gain a long foothold in the Brooklyn Nets and create his own glory. He was born and raised on Long Island. For him, coaching the Nets was an opportunity to "go home" and a New York story. He has been an assistant coach for eight years in the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, and has gained extensive experience. During the Knicks period, he helped Jeremy Lin start "Lin Crazy". He also experienced a 60-win season in the Hawks. He has long been recognized as the popular candidate for the "next coach" in the assistant coach circle.

However, reality hit him hard. When he took over the Nets in 2016, he faced the worst situation in the league: the team lacked talent and the draft assets were exhausted. In the first season, the team only achieved a record of 20 wins and 62 losses, and only won 8 more games in the next season. But Atkinson did not give up. With his coaching ability and patience, he successfully cultivated the young core and gradually put the team on the right track. In the third season, the Nets miraculously entered the playoffs, which was undoubtedly the highlight of his coaching career.

However, the turning point of fate always comes suddenly. In the 2019-20 season, two superstars, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, joined the Nets, and the team's strength has improved significantly. But just with 20 games left in the season, Atkinson left in disgrace with the euphemism of "consensus between the two sides". At that time, the Nets had a record of 28 wins and 34 losses. Durant was absent from the entire recovery of the Achilles tendon, and Irving had only played 20 games before undergoing shoulder surgery. After the team meeting, the management was worried about the chemistry between the superstar and the coach, and finally decided to dismiss Atkinson. Atkinson was filled with pain and helplessness at the moment of being fired. The results of his hard work seemed to disappear in an instant. Not only does he have to face major setbacks in his career, he also explains it to his family, especially to explain why his father suddenly lost his job. This was a huge blow to him, and the feeling of frustration and loss made him unable to let go of it for a long time. But he was not defeated by this setback. Instead, he achieved self-improvement and became a better self in the future with his efforts and wisdom. And his experience has also become a vivid example of the cruelty of the NBA coaching career.

The dream of "Going Home" was broken

2016, for Atkinson, it was a key turning point in his career. That year, he was hired as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, starting his first journey in the NBA. Brooklyn, a city located in New York, has special significance to Atkinson. He was born and raised on Long Island, where his hometown was the starting point of his basketball dream. Coaching the Nets is like a "hometown" journey for him, and it is also a New York chapter where dreams shine into reality.

The Nets at that time were deeply in a historical low. The team's lineup has obvious shortcomings, and the players' competitive levels are uneven. What is particularly serious is that the team's draft assets are almost exhausted and the future development prospects are not optimistic. Atkinson took over, it was undoubtedly an extremely difficult situation. However, he was not shocked by the difficulties in front of him, but was full of fighting spirit.. Its success is not only a personal glory, but also an inspiration and inspiration to all those who have dreams and pursue excellence. We should regard Atkinson as a role model, bravely face challenges when facing setbacks, and strive to achieve better self.

In Cleveland, Atkinson proved himself with his strength, allowing people to see the huge energy a coach can burst out after experiencing setbacks. His story is still being written, inspiring countless people who are struggling on the basketball road to move forward bravely.