Sources: D’Antoni to meet MJ about Hornets job

Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan is expected to meet with two finalists for the franchise’s coaching job this week, including Mike D’Antoni, sources told ESPN.

Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson is set to meet with Jordan on Tuesday, and D’Antoni’s visit is expected later in the week, sources said.

Atkinson and D’Antoni have already had two meetings with management, including with general manager Mitch Kupchak, in the Hornets’ process, sources said.

The Hornets fired James Borrego after four seasons in April.

D’Antoni was 217-102 in his four seasons (2016-2020) as Rockets coach, advancing once to the Western Conference finals and three times to the conference semifinals. D’Antoni, a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, led the Rockets to the highest winning percentage in the Western Conference over those four years (.682), trailing only the Toronto Raptors (.695) in the entire league.

Across 16 seasons as a head coach with Denver, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Houston, D’Antoni is 672-527 (.560) and 54-56 in the playoffs. He is a two-time NBA coach of the year (2004 and 2017).

Atkinson could become the second Golden State assistant coach poised to leave the Warriors and take over a new team. Mike Brown was hired to coach the Sacramento Kings next season.

Atkinson was 118-190 in three-plus years with the Nets, inheriting a full rebuild and showing improvement each season until resigning after an injury-plagued 2019-20 season. He spent the 2020-21 season with the Los Angeles Clippers as an assistant before joining Kerr’s staff ahead of this run to the NBA Finals.