The Cleveland Cavaliers have held on to the best record in the Eastern Conference after a historic 15-0 start to the season.

The front office put the right players in place to gel together, and it has resulted in something special.

Fans were excited about the team coming into the year, but this strong of a start was not expected.

Sustained success in the NBA can, of course, be about the roster, but it’s also a testament to a team’s head coach.

The Cavaliers have thrived under Kenny Atkinson’s leadership, who has brought the Cavaliers to this place in his first year as a head coach.

He recently commented about his time with the Golden State Warriors, and how it prepared him to be a strong head coach.

“This was finishing school for me as a coach. I don’t think I was a complete coach until I came here, and, quite honestly, learned from the best. The best players, the best coach,” Atkinson said via Dammy Emerman on X.

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson on his time with Warriors: “This was finishing school for me as a coach. I don’t think I was a complete coach until I came here and, quite honestly, learned from the best. The best players, the best coach.”

— Danny Emerman (@DannyEmerman) December 31, 2024

The Warriors have been known as a high-class, well-run organization for many years, and Atkinson learned a lot from Steve Kerr during his time there.

Kerr has been identified as one of the best coaches in the NBA over the past decade, so he was a great mentor for Atkinson to look up to, knowing how much success he’s had during his tenure.

The job is not done for the Cavaliers, who still have a lot of work to do, but if Atkinson and his team can keep their momentum going, they’ll be hard to stop down the stretch.