Dark Horse coach counterattacks! Atkinson coaches the Cavaliers in the first season, winning the coach of the year with 64 wins Myth

When the NBA officially announced the coach of the year on May 6, 2025, Kenny Atkinson's name exploded in the league. This tactical master who took over the Cleveland Cavaliers' coaching staff for the first time came out of nowhere with a "dark horse" position. With a terrifying record of 64 wins and 18 losses, he pushed the Cavaliers to the top of the East, while also winning back the first best coaching trophy in his career. This counterattack not only broke the monopoly of traditional giants over awards, but also redefined the meaning of "coaching miracle".

The first season is the Gods: From No One to Top of the League

Atkinson's Cavaliers' debut can be regarded as a textbook-level counterattack in basketball history. At the beginning of the season, facing this team that was still on the edge of the playoffs last season, the outside world generally has a conservative attitude towards the new coach's prospects. However, Atkinson used subversive tactical innovation to completely activate the Cavaliers' potential: he perfectly integrated the small ball concept of modern basketball with the Cavaliers' inside advantages to create a "Death Five Front" system that integrates offense and defense; through targeted tactical design, the efficiency of core players such as Mitchell and Mobley soared across the board. In the end, the Cavaliers beat the heroes with a record of 64 wins and 18 losses, not only becoming the number one seed in the East, but also the second-largest winning rate in the league, which made the entire NBA look at it.

Crushing crown: 59 first votes set history

In the fierce competition for the best coach, Atkinson's victory can be called a "dimensionality reduction strike." Official data shows that he won 59 first votes and topped the top with a total score of 401 points, while second-placed Pistons coach Bigstaff (31 first votes) was eclipsed against absolute advantage. This result not only demonstrates the league's high recognition of its coaching ability, but also reflects the Cavaliers' dominant performance this season. It is worth mentioning that Atkinson became the third coach in the Cavaliers' history to win this honor, tying the footsteps of legendary coaches Bill Fitch and Mike Brown, and carving his own mark on the team's wall of honor.

Rewrite the team history: Reshaping the Cavaliers' championship gene

The significance of this award is far more than personal honor. Atkinson spent a season transforming the Cavaliers from a "playoff participant" to a "champion contender", and his tactical wisdom and locker room leadership were fully demonstrated. His training of young players is particularly eye-catching - Mobry has evolved into an inside gate with excellent offense and defense under his command, and Garland's organizational ability has also reached a new level. This kind of "plug and play" coaching skills not only makes the Cavaliers' future full of imagination, but also provides other teams in the league with a brand new idea for building a team.

As the trophy was won, Atkinson and the Cavaliers' ambitions obviously went beyond that. On the fierce playoff stage of competition, this King's Team forged by him is aiming at the O'Brien Cup. Can this "dark horse coach" continue the myth and lead the Knights to continue the legend? The answer will be revealed in the next schedule!