Kenny Atkinson shares the powerful insights of Steve Kerr
The Golden State Warriors marched against the Cleveland Cavaliers to snap a two-game losing skidand they exited Rocket Arena with a 99–94 victory which carried a familiar undertone: the resilience of the candidates, the composure of an experienced group, and lingering weight Kenny Atkinson‘s relationship with Steve Kerr. The matchup brought back a rivalry that Cavaliers fans know wellbut it also opened a window into Atkinson’s past with the Warriors.
Speaking of Tony Pesta’s Pod Junkyard, Kenny Atkinson revisited his 2022 championship with the Warriors and detailed how Steve Kerr shaped him as a coach. “You know everybody thinks it’s smooth sailing here in Golden State. You have a great team, and you know, it definitely wasn’t smooth sailing,” he said.
Kenny Atkinson talks about his championship season with the Warriors and how he learned from Steve Kerr how to manage the ups and downs of a season:
“Everybody thinks it’s a smooth ride… It’s definitely not smooth” pic.twitter.com/luC8gi5mOk
— Tony Pesta (@Toni_Pesta) December 7, 2025
Atkinson vividly remembered the turbulence of the Warriors. “I think I said it the other day that year when we won the championship, I think we had a stretch where we went 7-16. We lost 9 of 11. At one point I think we lost seven or eight in two different stretches.” Those moments tested the Warriors. They defined them. “Nothing screams like a championship season, but more like a breakup,” he continued. “But that’s where Steve’s experience comes in.”
Different sideline, same lessons for the Warriors
Kenny Atkinson, who served as Steve Kerr’s assistant from 2021-24 and helped lead the Warriors to a title in 2022.ov leads the Cavaliers after replacing Jay Bickerstaff in 2024. He led the Cavaliers to a 64–18 record and named 2025 NBA Coach of the Year. But this season tells a harsher story. The The Cavaliers are eighth in the East at 14–11 and have dropped six of their last 10.
Even so, Atkinson carries the steadfastness of his former Warriors mentor. “A lot of these seasons can go up and down and how it can change. So I was a lot calmer,” he said. Then, another truth: “Maybe if it was 10 years ago when I first coached, I’d probably be a lunatic right now yelling at guys.”
If calm brings clarity, how far can Cleveland climb once the storm calms?
2025-12-07 15:24:00
