DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

Kenny Atkinson has been crowned the 2025 NBA Coach of the Year, steering the Cleveland Cavaliers to an impressive 64-18 season, topping the Eastern Conference. El Nuevo Diario recalls that this prestigious award highlights how a pivotal stint in Latin American basketball, specifically with the Dominican Republic’s national team, marked Atkinson’s rise to prominence in the NBA.

The newspaper remembers that 10 years ago, in 2015, Atkinson took on the challenge of coaching the Dominican squad with the goal of securing the team’s first-ever Olympic Games qualification. The deal, announced by then-general manager Eduardo Najri, was for one year with an option for an additional year. The Dominican team would compete in the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship, held in Mexico from August 25 to September 6.

At the time, Atkinson was an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks...