Steve Kerr is jubilant.

After a hard-fought and tense final, he has just won his first Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic men’s basketball tournament. On the opposing bench stood his former Warriors assistant, Kenny Atkinson, with whom he won the 2022 NBA title against the Boston Celtics.

The echoes of that success still linger in the depths of the Chase Center, where Olympics.com caught up with the former Les Bleus assistant coach—now leading the Eastern Conference with the Cleveland Cavaliers—during the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.

Discussing the Paris 2024 Olympics, Atkinson’s pride was unmistakable. The American coach, who spent more than five seasons in France as a player with Montpellier, Golbey-Epinal, Mulhouse, Nantes, and Evreux, holds a deep connection to French basketball.

“When they played La Marseillaise (the French national anthem) at the Olympics, I cried. The emotions at the Olympics… we were nearly eliminated, but we fought back and played that historic final against Steph (Curry) and LeBron (James). It felt like I was in a dream—completely surreal.”

Collet’s influence on Atkinson’s coaching in Cleveland

Beyond experiencing a defining chapter in French basketball history, the New York native also gained invaluable insights from his friend and colleague, Vincent Collet, who was named the best men’s basketball coach of the last Olympics.

With a league-best record of 44 wins in 54 games—tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder—Atkinson is having an exceptional first season with the Cavaliers, and his summer in Paris may have played a role in that success.

“I took some ideas from Vincent (Collet) from our training sessions at Paris 2024. Not everything, but a few technical aspects that I use with the Cavs. It’s not just tactical plays but also concepts, like my fast break strategy. Vincent and I discussed how to push the ball forward quickly in transition, taking inspiration from soccer,” Atkinson revealed exclusively to Olympics.com.

Named head coach of the Cavaliers during France’s Olympic preparation in late June, Atkinson remained committed to his role with Les Bleus, ensuring during his interviews with Cleveland that his Olympic obligations were non-negotiable.

“That’s exactly why I joined France this summer—it’s why I coach. Yes, of course I wanted to represent France, and yes, Victor Wembanyama was there. But more than anything, it was an incredibly enriching experience where I learned so much.”

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