Hornets GM: Atkinson reneging on agreement ‘disappointing’

By STEVE REED
AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — While Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak views Kenny Atkinson’s decision last week to renege on his four-year agreement to coach the team as “disappointing,” in some ways he’s grateful it happened the way it did. Kupchak said it is better to find out now rather than later that Atkinson wasn’t comfortable in Charlotte. Atkinson’s decision has left the Hornets scrambling to find a replacement. According to a person familiar with the situation, team owner Michael Jordan met earlier this week with former Hornets head coach Steve Clifford about the vacancy. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the team has not made its coaching search public.