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Kenny Atkinson is currently in the midst of by far the best of his five seasons as an NBA head coach. But he also now finds himself in the middle of the somewhat hilarious controvery after accidentally stealing the microphone of a Cleveland Cavaliers beat reporter and taking it home. Thankfully, Atkinson realized the error of his ways and later returned the mic to the reporter.
The 57-year-old spent four solid, yet unspectacular, seasons with the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-2020 before being relieved of his duties after the team acquired superstars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. After stints with both the Clippers and the Warriors, Atkinson resurfaced with Cleveland this season.
The Cavs began the year 15-0 and currently hold the second-best record in the NBA at 60-15 and look set to lock up the top record in the Eastern Conference. But in a recent press conference, Atkinson owned up to accidentally pilfering reporter Gabriella Kurz’s microphone in a strange mix up.
“I thought it was a tracking device” 😭💀
Yesterday I caught a live react of the person who stole my microphone during a #cavs press conference last game: pic.twitter.com/RXRgBJSCoO
— Gabriella Kreuz (@thesportsGab) March 31, 2025
Kenny Atkinson Owns Up To Accidentally Stealing Mic From Cavaliers Reporter
Kurz, who works for local news station WOIO, believed she had lost her microphone following a postgame press conference. She returned shortly after the press conference ended to find the mic missing and assumed it was lost forever.
However, she returned for media availability the following day with a new microphone. When she set it on Atkinson’s table and began recording the head coach, he quickly realized the error of his ways. In a reaction that showed both shock and embarrassment, Atkinson quickly asked what the small disc-shaped device was.
Kurz explained that it was a microphone, to which Atkinson immediately replied “I got one of your mics!” As it turns out, he accidentally picked it up off the table and put it in his pocket. Atkinson said that he only realized when he got home and emptied his pockets. But he did not know what the device was, stating that he thought it was a “tracking device” similar to an air tag.
Thankfully, everything worked out and Kurz got her mic back. But for a moment, we almost had an all-time funny NBA scandal on our hands.