Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinso nhas won the 2024-25 Rudy Tomjanovich Award, which honors an NBA coach for his cooperation with the media and fans, as well as his excellence on the court, the Professional Basketball Writers Association announced today.
This season, Atkinson guided the Cavaliers to a 64-18 record, tops in the Eastern Conference, and was consistently thoughtful and engaging with the media, and generous with his time. This is his first time winning the award.
“Kenny has always brought great candor, humility and a sense of humor to the job, and to his regular sessions with the media,” said PBWA president Howard Beck. “He’s always eager to explain the nuances of the game and to discuss the bigger issues across the league.”
J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons and Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves tied for second place in the balloting. The other finalists, based on nominations from PBWA members, were Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls. A vote of the full PBWA membership determined the winner.
The award is named for Hall of Famer Rudy Tomjanovich, the former coach of the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, who always was professional and respectful while dealing with the media. During his 13 seasons as an NBA head coach, Tomjanovich compiled a 527-416 regular-season record and a 51-39 postseason record. His Rockets won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.
The PBWA annually honors a PR staff (Brian McIntyre Award), coach (Rudy Tomjanovich Award) and star player (Magic Johnson Award) who go above and beyond to work with the media and help inform fans. Under the PBWA’s current rules, adopted in 2020, no team or individual can win in consecutive years.