The National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) has named Kenny Atkinson, Head Coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the 2025 recipient of the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award.
The award, voted on exclusively by all 30 NBA head coaches, honors excellence both on the court and in community service. Atkinson’s peers recognized him for transforming the Cavaliers into one of the league’s most dominant teams in his very first season at the helm.
A Historic Season for Cleveland
Under Atkinson’s leadership, the Cavaliers:
- Achieved the best record in the Eastern Conference and second-best in the NBA (64–18)
- Logged their first 60+ win season since 2009–2010
- Set a franchise record with 30 road wins
- Became the first team in NBA history to go 15–0 to start a coach’s first season
- Earned three of the four longest winning streaks in the league (16, 15, and 12 games)
- Saw Atkinson named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month twice and lead the 2025 East All-Star coaching staff
Elite Offensive Performance
The Cavaliers dominated offensively, finishing:
- 1st in points per game (121.9), offensive rating (121.0), effective FG% (57.8), and true shooting % (60.7)
- 2nd in FG% (49.1), 3PT FG% (38.3), 3-pointers made per game (15.9), and point differential (+9.5)
- 3rd in net rating (9.2)
Recognized by Peers
In addition to Atkinson, four other coaches received votes for the award:
- J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit Pistons)
- Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Michael Malone (Denver Nuggets)
- Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets)
NBCA President and Indiana Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle praised Atkinson, saying:
“Kenny Atkinson has long been respected by his peers as an innovative and humble servant to the game.”
Atkinson’s Response
In a statement, Atkinson credited the players, his coaching staff, and the Cavaliers organization:
“To be recognized by my peers for a job well done this season is extremely humbling… I must give a ton of credit to Koby Altman for assembling the collection of talent we have in Cleveland.”
NBCA Executive Director David Fogel added:
“Coach Atkinson’s hard work, dedication to his players, and ability to empower led the Cavs to one of the greatest regular seasons by a coach in their first year with a new team.”
This award further cements Atkinson’s status as a transformative leader in the NBA and marks a new era of success for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
