On May 6, the NBA officially announced the winner of the Coach of the Year award for the 2024-25 season. Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson won the honor with an overwhelming advantage. This is not only the first time he has won the award in his coaching career, but also makes him the third head coach in the history of the Cavaliers to win this award.

Atkinson, 57 , is the first time he has served as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, but he has quickly led the team to a new life with his excellent coaching ability and tactical scheduling. Under his coaching, the Cavaliers won 64 games and lost 18 games in the regular season this season, which not only greatly improved their winning rate, but also ended the regular season as the first in the Eastern Conference. Compared with 48 wins and 34 losses last season, the team's record has improved significantly, and the strength and confidence to advance to the playoffs have also risen.

In the voting for the best coach award, Atkinson received 59 first-place votes and a total score of 401 points, far exceeding other candidates, showing absolute dominance in the vote level. His main competitor , former Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff, received 305 points, while Houston Rockets coach Amy Udoka only received 113 points, a significant gap.

The annual best coach award, which is officially selected by the NBA and voted on by sports media representatives , has been a high recognition of the head coach's coaching ability and overall performance since its establishment in the 1962-63 season. The award is also named after the legendary coach Auerbach, symbolizing the highest honor.

It is worth mentioning that before receiving the official NBA award, Atkinson also won the annual best coach award selected by the American Coaches Association. This award is decided by the votes of coaches from all teams in the league, which shows that Atkinson has not only won the recognition of the media, but also received high praise from his peers. His coaching style takes into account both tactical rigor and player growth, and pays special attention to the construction of the defensive system and the training of young players, which have become the cornerstones of the Cavaliers' rise.

Atkinson was known for training young players when he was the head coach of the Nets. Now that he has come to the Cavaliers, he has not only continued his personal coaching philosophy, but also fully activated the potential of Garland, Allen, Mobley and others, making the team more balanced on both offense and defense. His coaching philosophy is highly consistent with the Cavaliers management's team building ideas, which has also brought about a qualitative change in the team after reconstruction.

This time, Atkinson became the third coach in the Cavaliers' history to win the NBA Coach of the Year award, following Bill Fitch in the 1975-76 season and Mike Brown in the 2008-09 season . For Cavaliers fans, this is undoubtedly another exciting moment, indicating that this young team is moving steadily towards the championship goal.

As the playoffs progress, Atkinson's coaching wisdom and ability to adjust on the spot will continue to be the key to whether the Cavaliers can go further. Whether the Cavaliers can reach higher heights under the leadership of this new best coach is also full of expectations.