NBA: Hornets to hire Kenny Atkinson as head coach—report

Assistant coach Kenny Atkinson reacts to a play in the second quarter against the Boston Celtics during Game Four of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 10, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. Elsa/Getty Images/AFP

The Charlotte Hornets plan to hire Kenny Atkinson as their next head coach, according to a report Friday night from ESPN.

Atkinson currently is serving as a Golden State Warriors assistant on Steve Kerr’s staff. He will be allowed to stay with the Warriors through the end of their NBA Finals series with the Boston Celtics.

The Hornets needed a head coach after parting ways with James Borrego, who went 138-163 in four seasons with the franchise.

Charlotte selected Atkinson over fellow finalist Mike D’Antoni, according to ESPN. Both candidates met twice with front-office staff before meeting with Hornets owner Michael Jordan this week.

This will be Atkinson’s second head-coaching job. He led the Brooklyn Nets for three-plus seasons, posting a 118-190 record as the franchise went through a rebuilding phase.

Atkinson served as a Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach last season before joining Kerr’s staff this season.

The Hornets are hoping to snap a six-year playoff drought. They went 43-39 in the regular season but lost a play-in game against the Atlanta Hawks.

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