The Brooklyn Nets held a spirited team meeting on Wednesday following their 39-point home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
After the loss, Atkinson walked into the locker room, sat down on a chair and asked for his players and staff to air out their grievances.
“It was a come-to-Jesus moment,” one source with knowledge of the meeting said. “It was an honest conversation where everyone tried to make things right.”
Several veterans expressed they wanted to see Spencer Dinwiddie play up to his potential and people in the room later called out Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan.
Sources say Kevin Durant then participated and pointed out how the Nets must improve their habits and that they were not building the proper culture traits for a title contender.
Durant and Kyrie Irving never connected with Atkinson and there was a growing belief that they did not have interest in playing for him next season when they return from their injuries, according to sources.
No directive from Irving or Durant was given to fire Atkinson, but enough information had been gathered that he had lost his most critical players.
