Kenny Atkinson Reveals His Honest Thoughts About Ejection On Thursday

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game without one of their biggest stars: their head coach.

Late in the third period, Kenny Atkinson was ejected from the game after getting upset with the refs’ decision not to call a foul.

Following the game, Atkinson spoke with Cleveland.com and said he doesn’t regret getting irate and standing up for Tristan Thompson, who he felt was obviously fouled.

“I don’t regret that one. I had to have Tristan’s back on that blatant foul against him that led to my ejection,” Atkinson said. “Fourteen years in the league. An NBA champion. He deserves more respect than that. I couldn’t let that one go. No way.”

In the end, the Indiana Pacers took down the Cavaliers by just two points, although the Cavs still hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference and are well on their way to the playoffs.

It’s not often that Atkinson gets this angry, but he felt like his player had been disrespected and wasn’t going to take it.

Coach ejections aren’t that common but they can often fire up the team and make them play even harder.

It’s as if the coach’s emotions rub off on the team and make them perform better.

The Cavaliers were in the midst of a very tight game with many of their regular starters taking the night off before the postseason.

So, perhaps Atkinson was attempting to inject some energy into his squad, or maybe he was just really and truly upset about how Thompson was treated.

Atkinson’s impact on this team has been immense, and many people believe he’s the frontrunner for Coach of the Year.

He has quickly become an important and beloved part of the team and so it’s not surprising that he’s so emotionally invested in his players and their well-being.