Overview
- The Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals after a 125-94 Game 7 win over the Pistons, setting up a series against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
- Atkinson called himself a New Yorker and said returning to the Garden carries special meaning because his family is on Long Island and he once coached there.
- He played more than a decade overseas after starring at St. Anthony’s High School and with Richmond’s 1988 Sweet 16 team, then broke into NBA player development with the Rockets.
- By his brother’s account, former Knicks assistant Phil Weber recommended Atkinson to Mike D’Antoni, leading to four seasons on the Knicks staff where he worked closely with Jeremy Lin.
- He later coached the Nets, helped the Warriors win the 2022 title as an assistant, earned 2025 Coach of the Year, and now leads a resilient Cavs group that has clinched two rounds with Game 7 wins.