CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cavs film sessions typically start the same way. With a joke. A clip of former Cavalier Georges Niang flat on his back with both legs up in the air — an unflattering pose that became a social media meme. A series of Ty Jerome highlights that led to him being called “Float Goat” — a dangerous phrase if not enunciated properly. A decades-old photo of coach Kenny Atkinson sporting a mullet or veteran Tristan Thompson when he was a teenager with braids. Darius Garland’s failed dunk attempt in a December win over the Milwaukee Bucks. No one is safe. “I’ve never seen anything like this before in the NBA,” said reserve forward De’Andre Hunter who is now playing for his fifth head coach in six years. “But it seems to work for this team.” Levity is part of Cleveland’s culture. A secret weapon that Atkinson brought with him. “In Golden State, it was a culture of joy,” Atkinson told cleveland.com during an extensive interview. “That’s what Steve (Kerr) preached over and over and over. Golden State was finishing school for me. I don’t think I was a complete coach until I went to Golden State and had a chance to learn from the best — the best players and the best coach. “When I was there, we mixed in stuff all the time to get players to laugh at themselves. I wanted to bring that here. You’ve got to be able to laugh together. Humor is so important throughout the grind of an NBA season. That’s usually the sign of a good locker room. It’s still a game and it’s still fun and I think it’s a way to break up the monotony of the grind. Everybody and everything is on the table. “But I think we strike the right balance between having fun and getting stuff done.” That was Atkinson’s vision — one of the many things he sold to Cavaliers decision-makers during a lengthy interview process to replace fired J.B. Bickerstaff this past summer. The result: Cleveland finishing the regular season with a 64-18 record, the second-best in franchise history. It will enter this weekend’s playoffs as the No. 1 seed for just the fourth time ever — and first since 2015-16, when the Cavaliers captured their lone title. A finalist for Coach of the Year, Atkinson became the fifth NBA coach ever to win at least 64 games in his first season with a new team. Championship dreams have returned to Northeast Ohio. “He’s got his hands all over this team,” said starting small forward Max Strus. “We’ve gotten better in every aspect.” Global influence A standout college point guard at the University of Richmond, the 57-year-old Atkinson played professionally in the Continental Basketball Association and United States Basketball League before heading overseas. There were stops in Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands — the kind of nomadic journey that has shaped his coaching career. “Even as a player all those years ago I said, ‘If I ever get into coaching, I don’t want to just stay in one place,’” Atkinson explained. “I could have come back immediately after I was done playing and taken the typical path. I decided not to. That was strategic. There’s just so much more out there than American basketball. It’s a global game. We’re seeing it right now with all these great international players currently in the NBA. It just opened my world.” Atkinson’s coaching tenure started in France as an assistant for Paris Basket Racing. Following a few years with mixed results, Atkinson returned home, coaching alongside NBA legend Mike D’Antoni with the New York Knicks. Then came four years in Atlanta as Mike Budenholzer’s top assistant. Atkinson’s first head-coaching opportunity was 2016, hired by the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets, asked to develop a group of young players while establishing an identity. Despite lifting the Nets back into contention — a successful coaching run that included a playoff berth in 2018-19 — Atkinson resigned the following year amid an ownership change and some roster upheaval, with the arrival of mercurial stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving shaking up the foundation of what Atkinson built. But he quickly landed a new gig, joining Tyronn Lue as a Los Angeles Clippers assistant for one year before heading to Golden State and helping the Warriors win the 2022 championship as Kerr’s trusted understudy. When asked to single out his most influential mentor, Atkinson refused. “It’s like the who’s who of NBA coaches and the who’s who of different styles,” Atkinson said. “With Steve, it was off-ball training, splits and slips. With Mike, it was pick and roll concepts, spreading the court, spacing, all that. I got the cutting principles from Rick Adelman. I took something from everyone. And then there’s my European background. All of these incredible experiences became my formation. It was formed globally. That’s exactly what I sought.” Following the 2022-23 campaign, Atkinson felt he was ready for the next step. He interviewed with the Charlotte Hornets for their head-coaching gig, quickly becoming the franchise’s leading candidate. He beat out Terry Stotts and longtime mentor D’Antoni, agreeing in principle on a four-year contract — until a change of heart kept him in the Bay Area and forced Charlotte to restart its search. “That was the right decision for my family at that time,” Atkinson said. “I am a bit lucky that it’s turned out where I ended up in a great organization, a great program, with great players. There were no regrets about that decision. These jobs are so hard to get. I understand that. But you make the best decision in that stage of your life. We, as a family, weren’t in that space to make the move.” Had he accepted, it would’ve been the third time relocating in four years — an understandable obstacle for a family man. But it’s fair to wonder if Atkinson ever thought about that decision to turn down the job and whether it would be held against him, possibly even preventing him from getting another head-coaching chance. “Oh yeah, that crosses your mind,” Atkinson admitted. “There’s only 30 of ‘em and I didn’t know how that decision was going to be viewed around the league. Would not taking the Charlotte job hurt me? You have those thoughts. You’re human and there are so many good coaches in this league that are always next in line. At one point, I honestly thought, ‘It might not happen ever again. I might not get another opportunity.’ “I’m where I’m supposed to be.” Aced interview In early June, the alarm clock buzzed inside the downtown Cleveland Ritz Carlton. In town for his latest interview with Cavs decision-makers, Atkinson woke up with one prevailing thought. I’ve got to nail this. This is the job I want. I’m going to nail this. There was a previous get-to-know-you conversation with president of basketball operations Koby Altman while Atkinson was in Spain for French national team duties. But this one was different. It was more formal. A three-part in-person interview with around six team executives that began early in the morning and concluded with dinner. “When this job opened up, I was like, ‘Holy (expletive)!’ So, I was definitely nervous. But it was a good nervous,” Atkinson admitted. “I felt like I knew the subject. I studied. I prepared to the 10th degree. It’s by far the most I’ve ever prepared for any interview. I knew there were other good candidates. From what I heard going in, I was even with some of the other candidates, so I knew I had to swing it back in my direction with a great presentation. It had to be the best presentation I had ever done. “This job, it was almost like a must. You have must wins, right? This was like a must job.” In that earlier conversation, Altman provided some guidelines of what he was looking for in the team’s next leader. Atkinson took those to heart. He came with an extensive PowerPoint presentation — entirely based on Evan Mobley. Sticky notes. Color-coated placards. An X’s and O’s whiteboard. Countless video clips. All tools to help lay out a modern, creative philosophical plan. “I didn’t want to miss any details,” Atkinson said. “I told myself that I would rather almost overdo it than underdo it.” The primary topic: Mobley, the young, underutilized franchise cornerstone who was weeks away from signing a rookie-scale maximum contract extension. “Seventy percent of it was about Evan,” Atkinson said. “Maybe more.” Where did Atkinson intend to put him on the court? What was the plan to increase his usage rate after ranking 130th among starters in that category the year before? How would he be used within this free-flowing, diverse and player-friendly system? “They were already doing a lot of good stuff. He was already a good player,” Atkinson said. “How do we double down on this stuff that already works and expand his game even more? That was a deep dive and I think it was great because when I evaluated the team, I agreed with Koby that it was the next step for this team. Evan needed to be more involved. So, I said, ‘Here’s a roadmap of how we can empower and unlock him more.’” Atkinson pointed to other ballhandling big men — Domantas Sabonis, Draymond Green and Bam Adebayo — as models for what Mobley could become. Atkinson saw Mobley as a capable pick-and-roll ballhandler. He believed the youngster could one day become comfortable on the perimeter, as a reliable shooter and floor spacer. There was a place for him as a trailing big, where he could make plays in the middle of the floor while also becoming a more willing launcher. Essentially, a point-forward who could initiate the offense — and take some of the playmaking responsibility from Garland and Donovan Mitchell. Along with that, Atkinson implored the front office to keep Mobley and Jarrett Allen together, unveiling a blueprint to maximize the polarizing two-big look. “My thing with that was, ‘I don’t see why this can’t work,’” Atkinson explained. “I know there was this huge rhetoric in the press about them not being able to work. I didn’t have that same perspective.” Cleveland’s braintrust was in lockstep on that. But to further his point, Atkinson showed video clips from his time in Golden State with Green and Kevon Looney. “I don’t even think I got through all those slides because you start running with some and then a discussion comes from that,” Atkinson said with a chuckle. “It was a curious group. The questions were phenomenal.” The next item on his interview agenda was the compatibility of Mitchell and Garland. “They obviously felt there was room and a need to improve there,” Atkinson said. “But it was the same thing with J.A. and Evan. Like, ‘Why can’t this work?’” Atkinson’s schematic presentation was a hit. But before the day wrapped up, he had one last thing to sell: What did he learn from getting fired in Brooklyn? How did that experience change him? How has he improved since? Why was he the best person for the job — even with Minnesota assistant Micah Nori, New Orleans’ James Borrego and Johnnie Bryant, with the New York Knicks at the time, also in the mix? “I laid it all out there,” Atkinson said. “I told them that everything I did after Brooklyn was strategic. Going with Ty. Going with Steve. I knew there was a big growth opportunity for me and I just tried to convince them that I had become a better coach through my experiences. Like I got a coaching master’s degree. I just went in there and I was authentic.” A tone-setting lunch On June 28, following a wide-ranging search that included upwards of 10 candidates — either over Zoom or in person — the Cavs hired Atkinson. Shortly after the announcement, Atkinson got to work. His first priority was building a relationship with Mitchell, Garland, Mobley and Allen — the ballyhooed Core 4. Despite a jam-packed schedule, Atkinson met with each one individually. Stop No. 1: Los Angeles. Atkinson flew out West for Mitchell’s annual youth camp with longtime shoe sponsor Adidas. After a morning on-court session, the two sat down inside the Four Seasons Westlake Village. Despite uncertainty about whether Mitchell would sign a contract extension, something any new coach would want to know, Atkinson chose not to broach that topic. It’s not why he was there. It wasn’t his place. Instead, the two discussed Cleveland’s roster, top to bottom, and the planned schemes at both ends of the floor. This sit-down was about inspiring trust and belief — the first chance to chart a new, healthier path forward, with Mitchell at the epicenter. “He brought out the salt and pepper and we went over everything on the little placemat at the restaurant,” Mitchell told cleveland.com. “We were trying to figure it all out together. ‘All right, we can plug this person here and where do we put this guy? Evan goes here, with the rifle action. When he sets up this action, you can slip or you can do this or that. Here’s how we want to play our two bigs. Here’s the spacing we want. What if we flip the screen here?’ “We went over everything.” Atkinson was floored with Mitchell’s ability to provide a detailed on-the-fly scouting report for each teammate. “He was giving a ChatGPT report on every guy,” Atkinson said. “Not only the on-court stuff, but the off-court. It was like I was talking to a coach. Gave me a lot of hints on how to coach guys.” Atkinson didn’t know Mitchell well. They only crossed paths briefly in 2017, when Mitchell worked out for the Nets leading into the draft — even though Brooklyn had the 22nd pick and there was next to no chance of Mitchell dropping out of the lottery. The two even shared a laugh at the hotel while reflecting on that. “We just clicked,” Atkinson said. “That’s important. You could meet and not click. He bought in right off the bat.” It was there Atkinson sold Mitchell on a plan to sacrifice — shots, responsibilities, minutes, touches. All for the betterment of the team. They discussed getting Garland back to an All-Star level and celebrating the team’s depth by playing a 10- or 11-man rotation. With Mitchell coming off an exhausting season, reaching the 35-minute mark for the second consecutive year and battling a knee issue that sidelined him for the final two games of the playoffs, the potential big-picture changes were appealing. The most frequently used term that day was “empowerment.” As the leader of a group with championship aspirations, Mitchell would need to empower teammates. That was his next step. It was Cleveland’s next step. None of it possible without Mitchell’s willingness to commit to a new role. “When you have a guy saying ‘This is what can take us to the next level, this is what we need from you,’ it makes it easy,” Mitchell said. Days later, after that low-tech tone-setting meeting, Mitchell solidified his commitment, agreeing to a three-year, $150.3 million extension. Reimagined offense Throughout the remainder of the summer, when Atkinson wasn’t scattered across Europe in preparation for the Olympics, he met with Cleveland’s other core players, relaying his vision and getting their feedback on how to best approach Year 1. When training camp opened in late September at IMG Academy in Sarasota, Fla., it was time for Atkinson to bring that vision to life. He installed a rhythmic motion offense that made the Cavaliers more unpredictable and less reliant on a pick-and-roll and isolation-heavy scheme — a style that led to repeated postseason ineptness. Pace. Space. Cuts. Diversity. Continuous movement. Sprinting to corners. “It’s about principles more than rules,” Atkinson said. “There’s a freedom to it but there’s also a great responsibility. “Organized chaos. That’s how I describe it.” Just call it successful. With a reimagined offense, reassigned roles and altered rotations, the surgical Cavs averaged a franchise-record 121.9 points during the regular season. They ranked first in offensive rating, boasting one of the highest marks in NBA history. They were second in the NBA in field goal percentage and 3-point shooting. Garland, who labeled this a “revenge season” following one of the hardest years of his life, rediscovered his pre-injury form. Mobley became a first-time All-Star — the evolution Atkinson promised. “He’ll have these handle moments where he’s behind the back twice, between the legs, and you’re like, ‘Whoa, he’s got that?’ Magic Johnson,” Atkinson boasted. “I mean, seriously. His handle is way better than I thought. His open court ability. I’m excited what the future’s going to bring for him because when he makes plays like that, you’re like, ‘Holy,’ he’s got a lot more in there. I think he can get there if we keep empowering him.” The Mobley-Allen pairing has thrived — a 12.2 net rating in 1,034 minutes sharing the floor. Same with the Mitchell-Garland tandem. Jerome became a Sixth Man of the Year candidate. Sharpshooter Sam Merrill, often removed from Bickerstaff’s tight rotation, turned into a second unit mainstay. Strus had his second-best shooting season. None of it happens without Atkinson’s deft touch. “He figured out how to utilize this team best,” Strus said. “He gives us the confidence to be ourselves, to play basketball the way we want to and pushes us to play the right way.” Atkinson doesn’t like the shine. It’s about talent and roster construction — a “magnificent” job by the Altman-led front office to build a deep, versatile, skilled and balanced roster. It’s about continuity — 13 of 14 full-time guys from last year’s conference semifinalist that began the season together. It’s about player leadership, with Mitchell setting the tone. That’s what Atkinson says, anyway. But what does having all those pieces really mean without a mastermind who makes every intricate, purposeful maneuver? A quirky mad scientist willing to experiment even if it blows up in his face? That’s Atkinson’s unquantifiable gift. He set a new standard. “He’s a guy that has a great feel of everybody in the locker room,” Mitchell said. “A lot of guys have had career years. A lot of guys have taken steps forward that we all knew they could. We’ve all individually put the work in and sacrificed, but Kenny has challenged us and Kenny has empowered guys to go out there and be their best selves.” Following his unceremonious exit from Brooklyn, there were questions about Atkinson’s ability to connect with stars. But he watched Lue interact with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard and Atkinson saw how Kerr handled Green and Stephen Curry while also extending that reach to the last player on the roster. “I learned how important it was to involve all those stars in everything,” Atkinson said. “At one point in the playoffs, we were playing against Memphis and Steve called all of the coaching staff to his house. We were debating something that we were going to do with our defensive scheme. He said, ‘Hey, I’ve got to call Draymond on this one.’ We got Draymond on the phone. I would have never thought about that. Your leaders help you make decisions. “I wasn’t thinking like that in Brooklyn. I was a little more rigid, a little more strict. More of a college coach, with hands on everything, in every drill. But I learned from that. I’ve become more willing to incorporate joy and fun.” Whiffleball. Pickleball. Football. Spikeball. Soccer shootouts. H-O-R-S-E. Even film session roasts. “We’re having fun in every single thing we do,” said Allen, who began his career with Atkinson in Brooklyn. “It makes things easier to be able to fight for each other when you’re having fun. If people were miserable, if people didn’t want to come to practice, we wouldn’t lock in or really care so much about helping the person next to us. But we’re here, we’re happy to be next to each other and we’re happy to compete for everybody. “This is what Kenny is all about — taking a great team and making them even better. He’s taken us to another level and hopefully he makes that final push.”