 Kenny Atkinson the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets is with us in studio here at the stadium. This is pretty luxurious, huh? Don thanks for giving up your seat. I appreciate it and great intro song. I don't know who chose that. Yeah, that was RJ That was nice. Michael didn't honor. I've got a rule coach that I do not speak until they say Brooklyn I think you have to honor the song you have to honor the city So I love it. That was a bad job out of Michael, but if I was in the trailer, I'd be sitting on your lap Kenny this is an interesting year coming up for the Nets I I personally think that you and Sean have done an unbelievable job I mean, you're you're facing a lot of obstacles with you know, none of your own first round draft picks because of the deal That was made before you were there. They improved so much you guys improved so much this year. What's next? Is it is it a quantum leap next? I mean that's the dream right the quantum leap I think that's the you know, that's that's the big goal in the sky but I also think we've been making solid steps and Solid improvements. So, you know, I'd be happy with that too, but we understand what you're saying about the quantum leap I think our players players, you know, you know, see that it's a possibility But listen, I I do think we have to come from it come to it in a humble way, too You know, we only won 28 games last year the eight game improvement, which was you know, which is good as hard And the NBA as you know, Michael Listen, I take another eight to ten game improvement. That would be fantastic You cool now Can you afford to be a little bit more patient being in Brooklyn and say if you were Back in New York at the Garden the Knicks and the how high profile with the with the media attention Are you afforded a little bit more patience being with the Nets? That's a good question I you know, I don't we don't look at it that way internally I know I know from a media standpoint, you know, you could you could argue you have a Fair fair point there, but I don't look I look like we have just as much pressure as they do. We're in the same town We're in New York. As you know, Brooklyn's a huge basketball borough. So, you know, we we we feel the same same pressure same Expectations and listen, we know we're competing with them. They're they're in the same town as us and we welcome that and You know look forward to doing better against them than we did last year. We struggled against them last year What I like that you guys have done. I'm not a fan of tanking. I don't think you guys have tanked I mean, you're in a process of like turning things over, but it's not tanking. You're trying to win all the time The Sixers they tried to lose and you know what it worked out for them They've got a pretty good team. Have you talked to Brett Brown at all about going through something like this? No, because we've never talked about tanking. Sean and I get that. I'm just gonna be honest Internally, we don't we don't use the word we don't talk about it. We talk about internal improvement. We talk about player development We talk about culture, but tanking is not a what not a word we use Michael. It's not in our I don't I don't think the the fans of New York want to want to see that And the weird thing if you're gonna tank this upcoming season would be the year tank because you finally have your own draft pick So that's never entered the organization's mind. We get a stud player if we get the first or second pick listen I you know, I think it the probably you know upper upper management. I'm sure it's been been been discussed but you know from the coaching, you know in the coaching room we don't we don't talk that and and Sean and I don't talk about it. So which is which is great for me. I can be singularly focused on Amen, we're trying to get this thing better. We're trying to improve We're trying to you know get us another four six eight, you know Ten game improvement and and keep keep moving upwards. You played all over Europe you coached in Europe Do you have an advantage with European players in the NBA? Did that give you a little bit of expertise to understand them better? Yeah, you know good point. I think it's a I think it's a big reason why I'm in the NBA I think I came from a You know although, you know played played in the States and in college and all that but my my overseas experience It just gave me a different perspective down it it just I Had Greek coaches. I had Serbian coaches. I had French coaches Spanish coaches And I I learned a ton over there and and luckily I was over there at a time when the NBA was really shifting to a more International style of play. There are more international guys in the league and and you know, yeah, I I relate to I have I've Good bond with those guys because I have you know shared common experiences with them Do you have to be a different coach now? Then you could have been 20 years ago because I see it in baseball You know everybody goes well Billy Martin would have done that Billy Martin I don't think you get a job now. That's not the way the sport is and that's not the way athletes are So could you coach the same way 20 years ago as you coach now or vice versa? Yeah, I'd like to think if you're a good coach, it doesn't matter You know if you're you're a great coach, it shouldn't really matter and and but I will say the game has changed a ton The style of play has changed And I think you know the way the way that the daily life in the NBA as a coach has changed It's a much more collaborative Situation I think I like I said I didn't I wasn't back there 20 years ago, but I I do think it's a different style of Our our culture is different than what the nets were 20 years ago Which is just a different way of dealing it dealing with it and this coming season or after this year You can have a lot of money to spend and I'm one guy who follows the NBA I don't understand why teams just completely clear clear cap space because it's just a dream It's air until you spend it. But do you guys dream big and know who's coming out and we're gonna try to get these guys We're gonna nail these guys. Yeah, I think you have to dream big Michael. We have to you have to dream big and and you know I think it's it's it's you know, it's a little bit on us. You know how we play this year You know the the you know the word around the league because players they talk to each other You know, what's it like in Brooklyn? You know, how do they treat you? How do they treat your families? What are the fans like? What's a Barclays center like so I think I think I think we have all those things in our favor and I think players talk and and I think I think guys will seriously consider us and the Barclays Center is beautiful It's a great facility and your your training facility is top of the line awesome And you're known as a guy who's not a players coach Which would make you sound easy, but you work with players great. Those would seem to be checklist things for a free agent Yeah, I hope so and we're in a great city of New York, you know, there's there's nothing like that and you know Brooklyn's Brooklyn's a special place You know, I live in Brooklyn or our whole staff lives in Brooklyn or all our players live in Brooklyn I feel like there's something special going on and Like I said, I just think through word of mouth and and players talking to each other and agents are a big part of it Obviously, uh, you know the success we've had with guys like Joe Harris and the guys that you know We're out of Spencer. Didn't we these guys were out of the league and you know their agents say hey You come to come to Brooklyn get some opportunity. The coaches Will let you play a little bit You know, so, uh, again, I think we have a lot of positive things I'm gonna put you on the spot. Which one Kenny Atkinson the next coach Everybody tells me he's such a great coach to teach. He makes people better How do you do that? Well, how do you make people better because that's something that a coach I guess would love to have hang on a shingle but you get to do it because everybody says it and it's proven because As you said a Spencer din with he becomes a really good player under you. Yeah, I think Mike I think it's probably just like your business how you've become so good. You get trust, you know It's to get the players trust And then, um, you know establish, you know, what their weaknesses are and and and just kind of pound away on that but also understand their strengths too and uh, Listen, you know, I would say the best thing about development and you need an opportunity to play So, uh, we've you know, we've been we've afforded those guys opportunity to play But I really think it's a trust thing. It's a relationship thing and once you get that going and then you then you can take off with the player Kenny, is it harder to teach and communicate as a head coach as opposed to an assistant? Yes It's it's such a different world. I can't tell you and it's been a uh an enormous uh, uh Learning experience an enormous challenge. Uh, you know, they always talk about one seat over It's all true. It's it's uh Managing a huge staff as you know, the staffs have gotten bigger in the NBA and then, you know managing, uh managing 15 guys Some guys that aren't playing guys that are playing It's it's a it's a heck of a challenge. How good could de angelo russell be? Could he be the guy you can build these things around? Yeah, he's he's a talented guy, michael He's got he's got a great core vision. He's got incredible hand-eye coordination Really understands the game You know, he's want to be great. He wants to be great. I think, uh, you know, he's he's been in our gym all summer like all summer You know in the NBA, it's it's not a it's not an obligation. You have to want to be there. So he's been there He's been really working on his body Uh, uh, he's got to make some strides there. He's got he's got to get stronger Work on his explosiveness a little bit, but uh, he's he's he's he's proven it to me You know, uh by being there every day, uh in the off season I have uh these names. I wrote them down. So I didn't forget jarrod dudley ed davis Shabazz napier and kenneth ferread Those guys could really help you. Yeah, I'm I'm a pick up. Yeah Remember kenneth. I had those, you know, some really good years in denver shabazz I think had a great year and and and portland, you know, I know when we played him He was on our scouting report. He was their x-factor like don't let shabazz, you know, uh Get off, you know, don't let them shoot that three-point shot and and you know It's kind of cool. He's a you know played played locally played at uconn. So that's that's great Uh ed davis solid Rebounder it gives us some toughness michael that that that we need uh some some real toughness You and an alan han went to the same high school. Who's who's a bigger name? Oh alan. There's no doubt about it Oh, he's gonna play that on his show. Oh my god. Alan's a Alan's a bigger name And maybe one of the all-time nicest guys, right? Yeah, get along did you get along cross in high school? Oh, no, he was younger, you know, you know, not that much younger than me But uh, he was definitely, you know better-looking guy and and and that's why he's he'll tell you that. Yeah, he'll tell you that He's a hockey guy too. So I I know that but he's a he's a wonderful guy and and uh, we we we talk about st Anthony's, you know our high school island all the time So it's a losing get to you. I mean, I know you understand the situation you took over But you're a coach you want to win All these years of the losses does it get to this way? You're down. Yeah, yeah, it gets to you. You know, I think you're a competitor and uh, uh, there there there are moments where really Really and you know what bothers me sometimes might the compliments you get after all they play so hard Like like I want to get past that point where where uh, where it's a little bit more of that Where we're starting to you know topple some teams that uh, that some some good teams and we we started to do that We just we just got to keep building on it. Who's the best coach in the NBA? Take yourself out of it. Oh best pop. You got to give it to pop because he's done it done it over such a long That was easy the second best. Oh second best. Wow. That's that's a tough one Um, I you know, I'd probably go with brad stevens right now. Yeah, I think he's done, you know phenomenal job Why can't more people make that transition from college to the pros? Great question. I've never been in the college I'm really curious. I'm surprised. There's not yeah I'm not surprised as I'm more back and forth between the college and and and I know in the NFL It's like that and in college football. There's more I think the recruiting thing is is is such a different animal with the college Stuff and I know a lot of pro guys like no way. I'm not going to college. It's hard to beg a 17 year old Yeah, they just don't want to they just don't want to do it. Yeah, Sean Marks doesn't feel Exactly. I just feel exactly. It's a great point. Well, great to see you. Thanks for joining me Well, thanks so much for having me on. I'm I'm a big fan. I'm a big fan I told you I listened to you on on my drive home from work and uh, I'll eat on you too and I just uh, I just enjoy it and it's great It's part of being a new yorker like being being uh, uh, uh, so ingrained, you know The sports radio is such a huge part of our sports culture. Let's get 10 more from eight more to 10 more Okay, I like you got a lofty goal there, but I appreciate it and of course you can see the nets all the time on Yes, they uh, they are part of the yes family and uh, again, thank you for coming by Kenny