Kenny Atkinson played across Europe after graduating the University of Richmond back in 1990. He had moments in Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands until he retired in 2004.
He, more than any of his players, know the legend of Drazen Petrovic, the New Jersey Net who created the European flow to the NBA.
“Ah man, I was such a huge fan,” Atkinson said of the late Petrovic, whose memory will be honored at the Nets game Monday night. “I loved how passionate (he was). When I was playing over in Europe, through the grapevine you just heard about his legendary work ethic, how insane he was in terms of going back to the gym at two in the morning, how many shots he shot.