Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson grew up with a competitive advantage forged by tough love. It'll be useful in his first Cavs playoffs.

Despite springtime temperatures outside, the added playoff pressure and the first-round series opener set for Sunday evening, the mood around the top-seeded Cavaliers remains light.

As Kenny Atkinson’s supremely successful first season ... “So, you just never walked by (an older brother) without getting a shot,” smiled the 57-year-old Cavs coach.

INDEPENDENCE — Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson still has the footage ... all boys — in Northport, New York, Atkinson and his younger brother, Robert, found themselves in a dispute.