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Kenny Atkinson reveals what he learned from Warriors’ Steve Kerr during championship run
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- Kenny Atkinson reveals what he learned from Warriors’ Steve Kerr during championship run
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The post Kenny Atkinson reveals what he learned from Warriors' Steve Kerr during championship run appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Golden State Warriors marched against the Cleveland Cavaliers to snap a two-game losing skid, and they walked out of Rocket Arena with a 99–94 win that carried a familiar undertone: the resilience of a contender, the composure of a seasoned group, and the lingering weight of Kenny Atkinson 's connection to Steve Kerr. The matchup brought back a rivalry Cavaliers fans know well , but it also opened a window into Atkinson's past with the Warriors.
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Speaking on Tony Pesta's Junkyard Pod, Kenny Atkinson revisited his 2022 championship run with the Warriors and detailed how Steve Kerr shaped him as a coach. "You know everybody thinks it's a smooth like here in Golden State. You got a great team, and you know, it definitely wasn't smooth," he said.
Atkinson remembered the Warriors' turbulence vividly. "I think I said it the other day that year we won the championship, I think we have a stretch where we went 7-16. We lost 9 out of 11. At one point I think we've lost seven or eight on two different stretches." Those moments tested the Warriors. They also defined them. "Nothing screams like a championship season, but more like of a falling apart," he continued. "But that's where Steve's experience comes in."
A different sideline, the same Warriors lessons
Kenny Atkinson, who served as Steve Kerr's assistant from 2021 to 2024 and helped win the Warriors' 2022 title, n ow leads the Cavaliers after replacing J.B. Bickerstaff in 2024 . He guided the Cavaliers to a 64–18 record and claimed NBA Coach of the Year honors in 2025 . But this season tells a harsher story. The Cavaliers sit eighth in the East at 14–11 and have dropped six of their last 10 .
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Even so, Atkinson carries his former Warriors mentor's steadiness. "A lot of these seasons can go up and down and how it can change. So I've been a lot more calm," he said. Then, one more truth: "Maybe if it was 10 years ago when I was first coaching, I'd probably be a lunatic right now and yelling at the guys."
If calm brings clarity, how far can Cleveland climb once the storm settles?
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