Kenny Atkinson is the classic gym rat. He has been since he was a little kid growing up on Long Island, just 35 miles away from where Barclays Center now stands, dribbling a ball almost as big as he was.
The only thing he likes better than working on the court is winning on the court. No wonder the Nets’ new head coach was called “Spunky,” a nickname he picked up in college as a plucky point guard at Richmond.
“We called him Spunky. He fit the nickname,’’ said retired Spiders coach Dick Tarrant, whose 1988 Sweet 16 team was led by Atkinson at point guard.