Jarrett Allen discusses tenure with Nets under Kenny Atkinson
The Brooklyn Nets had an interesting aura around the franchise prior to the arrivals of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019. While the team was not particularly good before the superstars announced their intentions to sign with Brooklyn, the Nets had some good players that were willing to buy into the fun, hard-working culture that the organization was setting.
When Kenny Atkinson took over the head-coaching duties for Brooklyn heading into the 2016-17 campaign, the franchise was recovering from a 21-61 season that saw the team fire then-head coach Lionel Hollins and then-general manager Billy King. Jarrett Allen, Brooklyn’s first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, saw how the franchise changed from fringe playoff team to title contenders almost overnight.
In January of 2021, Allen was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a four-team deal that brought James Harden to the Nets and well, Nets fans know the story from there. Allen recently spoke to former NBA player JJ Redick along with Tommy Alter on “The Old Man & The Three” podcast about what the culture was like in Brooklyn during the Atkinson era and here’s some of what Allen had to say:
“Honestly, my second year there (in Brooklyn), we just had this vibe about us where we were just going out and playing, having fun. I mean, there’s this clip of us just shooting threes, everybody’s dancing on the sideline, we’re having the time of our lives. Were we the best team? No, but we were enjoying ourselves and playing hard and winning.”
“I genuinely believe that we were all bought into Kenny and his system and just trying to make things work with what we had.”
Full episode with @_bigjayy_, @jj_redick, and @talter drops 3/1: https://t.co/8ku5E32aBS pic.twitter.com/S6kNazOJ48
— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) February 29, 2024
