Nate McMillan calls decision to come back to the Hawks a “no-brainer” for several reasons

Not long after the Hawks miraculous playoff run ended, the interim tag was removed from Nate McMillan‘s title, as he inked a four-year extension to stay in Atlanta as the permanent head coach. Today, he talked to the media for the first time since and had some encouraging things to say about the state of this franchise.

First and foremost, he called the decision to return as the head coach a “no-brainer” and said he loves the direction the Hawks are heading.

Nate McMillan says he really didn’t think about his future as head coach of the #Hawks until their postseason run was over. Says it was “a no-brainer” to stay with this team and loves the direction this franchise is headed. pic.twitter.com/AhOvxDZL38

— Kelly Price (@thekellyprice) July 9, 2021

Later, when McMillan was asked about the biggest reasons why he decided on the Hawks, he cited ownership, Travis Schlenk, and the direction they wanted to go. Specifically, McMillan said Tony [Ressler] would do anything it takes to win and bring a championship to Atlanta. McMillan also cited the fantastic job Schlenk did in free agency last offseason, bringing in Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, and Rajon Rondo.

McMillan didn’t stop there, though. He continued to rave about the entire organization, giving praise to all of the coaches, the backups, training staff, and everyone in between. The talent on this Hawks team obviously played a factor in McMillan returning as the head coach. It’s overwhelmingly evident he has a fantastic relationship with everyone in that locker room. However, that wasn’t the focal point of his message today. McMillan made it clear that everybody — top-down — has the same vision, and they are all working to achieve that goal, which is why the Hawks are on the way to becoming a well-respected organization.