Kenny Atkinson’s departure from Brooklyn has to be at the top of the list of the most unexpected things to occur in the NBA this year.
We don’t really know the reason for Atkinson parting ways with the Nets yet — though it’s sure to leak over the next few days. Even with no concrete information about it, though, people are already theorizing reasons why.
One of the main ones? The organization’s clashes with Kyrie Irving. The friction there has been clear throughout the season, from the handling of Irving’s shoulder injury to how they play on the court with and without him.
The Nets built a culture without stars and Atkinson was an architect in that. Irving, and even Kevin Durant to an extent, don’t necessarily fit cleanly into that as superstars.
Because of that, people were quick to assume Irving was probably part of that issue. Some on Twitter even made the salient point that Irving has been coached will worked under seven different coaches over the last nine seasons.
When you do the math, the numbers add up. Next season (if Jacques Vaughn isn’t retained), Irving will have played under eight head coaches in his career. On the surface, that’s a scary proposition for any coach or organization.
But when you really dig in to what’s happened throughout his career, he isn’t necessarily what you’d call a “coach killer.” Let’s break it down.
- Byron Scott: Irving liked Scott and said it felt like he “lost his basketball father” when he was fired.
- Mike Brown: That was Dan Gilbert!
- David Blatt: That was LeBron!
- Ty Lue: Lue left Cleveland himself because the Cavs stunk two seasons after Irving was traded. They definitely clashed, though.
- Brad Stevens: He survived – but he and Irving also definitely clashed. It got better, though.
- Kenny Atkinson: To be determined.
So, sure, it’s safe to say that Irving isn’t a player that comes without drama. But that’s kind of what you get with most star players — there are very few exceptions.
He’s not a coach killer, though. If anything, he leaves before the coach does. We’ve got to call that something else.
