When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joined forces in Brooklyn, the expectations were sky-high. Becoming a part of the culture that Kenny Atkinson had built over the past few years, it looked like the perfect recipe for a championship team. But the exact opposite happened as locker room tensions reportedly led to Atkinson’s abrupt firing. Sure enough, Kyrie tried to take the blame off KD and himself in a candid interview, but even years later, Charles Barkley believes the superstar duo was the reason Atkinson lost his Nets job.

Just months after Atkinson’s firing, Ky said in an interview, “I want to give a shout out to Kenny Atkinson because some people came out and was like, ‘Yo, Ky and KD got Kenny fired.’ And look, that was completely false.” But it looks like his plea for innocence fell to deaf ears as Barkley took a shot at Kyrie and KD while praising Atkinson on tonight’s Inside The NBA, “People forget, now think about three or four years ago, we were bragging about Kenny Atkinson doing a great job in Brooklyn. He was doing a fabulous job, we’re like ‘This guy might be the next really really good coach.’ Then, KD and Kyrie came there and they kicked him off the ship.”

Although Atkinson finished his coaching tenure in Brooklyn with a 118-190 record, he played a massive role in turning them from a lottery team to legitimate playoff contenders. And if given a chance, many believe he could have helped the Durant and Kyrie-led team to immense success. Unfortunately, he was sacked just months after the superstars joined. Moreover, Nets GM Sean Marks claimed the players had nothing to do with the decision, “It was time for a new voice in the locker room… This didn’t involve the players.”

However, KD and Kyrie are among the few players in the league who have the status to influence such front-office decisions and if they wanted Atkinson to remain the head coach, the organization would have likely figured out a way to do so.

Kenny Atkinson claims he is “not the same coach” he was in Brooklyn

Well, it has been four years since Atkinson’s firing. Since then, he has won a championship as the assistant coach of the Warriors. And now, he is wreaking havoc in the league as the head coach of the Cavs. Taking the job earlier this summer, he has exceeded all expectations so far as the Cavs are 15-0 to start the season. Sure enough, that proves Barkley’s point of how good a coach he has always been.

Moreover, Atkinson addressed his growth trajectory in a recent interview, “Yeah, I’ve grown a lot. I’ve changed a lot as a coach, which is a good thing. I’ve progressed. I’ve developed. Definitely not the same coach I was in Brooklyn.” Instead of being deterred by his firing, he figured out a way to come out of it stronger, “That’s kind of been my philosophy, how many experiences can I get in this league. And that was part of the thought process after I got fired in Brooklyn, I was like, ‘Man.’ You’re a little taken aback. And then you’re like, ‘OK, how do we turn this into how can I get better?’ And, luckily, I felt like I’ve made the right decisions.”

Even Barkley commended him for the way he handled himself after the Nets firing, “You know what, he didn’t complain, he just went back. But he is different. No disrespect to other coaches, this guy knows how to coach.” Sure enough, his perseverance has paid off as he continues to dominate with the Cavs.