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Kenny Atkinson and Sam Presti have earned top honors for the 2024–25 NBA season, recognized for leading dramatic turnarounds with their respective teams. Atkinson claimed Coach of the Year after guiding the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 64–18 record in his debut season, while Presti was named Executive of the Year for building a 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder squad that dominated the league from start to finish.
Atkinson Wins Coach of the Year in Debut Cavaliers Season
Kenny Atkinson has been named the 2024–25 NBA Coach of the Year, capping off a dominant first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Atkinson steered the Cavs to a 64–18 finish, locking up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and delivering the franchise’s second-best record ever.
The season opened with a 15-game win streak—tying the second-longest unbeaten start in league history. Cleveland followed that up with a 16-game run in February and March, the longest in team history.
Atkinson received 59 of 100 first-place votes from a global media panel, beating out Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff and Houston’s Ime Udoka. He now joins Bill Fitch and Mike Brown as the only Cavaliers coaches to earn the award.
Before landing in Cleveland, Atkinson coached the Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs in 2019 and was part of the Golden State Warriors’ 2022 title-winning staff.
His influence extended into the postseason as well. The Cavaliers swept past the Miami Heat with a record-setting point differential and moved on to face the Indiana Pacers in the semifinals.
Presti Named Executive of the Year After Thunder’s Historic Run
Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti has earned the 2024–25 NBA Executive of the Year award, his first in an already impressive front-office career.
Under Presti’s direction, the Thunder surged to a 68–14 record—the best in the NBA this season, a franchise best, and tied for sixth all-time. The team also posted a staggering +12.9 scoring differential, the highest in league history.
Key moves included trading for defensive anchor Alex Caruso and securing long-term deals for Isaiah Hartenstein, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins—decisions that helped elevate OKC into championship contention.
Unlike most NBA awards, this honor is voted on by executives from across the league. Presti picked up 10 first-place votes and appeared on 22 of 30 ballots, narrowly edging Cleveland’s Koby Altman and Detroit’s Trajan Langdon.
It’s the first time the Thunder—or the franchise in its former Seattle SuperSonics era—has won this award since 1994.
As Oklahoma City continues its playoff push, Presti’s blueprint has put the team in a strong position to compete now and well into the future.
