Mike Krzyzewski is one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of basketball. He was at the helm of Duke University basketball from 1980 until his retirement in 2022, and during that time, the school made 13 trips to the Final Four while winning five national championships.
He was also the coach of Team USA, and in that capacity, he led it to gold medals in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics while working with legends such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Krzyzewski also served as an assistant coach for the Dream Team that cruised to the gold medal in the 1992 Summer Games.
Therefore, one has to assume he has some very sound judgment when it comes to judging talent, especially coaching talent. Los Angeles Lakers fans have to be encouraged by a recent report in The Athletic that says the team has been leaning on his advice during its coaching search.
Via The Athletic:
“Multiple sources briefed on the matter say one person who has become a respected unofficial resource for the Lakers during the process is legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose deep knowledge for candidates, such as Redick and others, provides a lens into the culture the organization wants and the characteristics of a potential staff around the next head coach,” wrote Shams Charania and Jovan Buha.
This isn’t the first contact the Lakers organization has had with Krzyzewski. In 2004 when Phil Jackson took his one-year sabbatical, the franchise tried to lure Krzyzewski away from Duke to be its head coach, perhaps at the urging of Bryant. The legendary coach decided to remain in the ACC rather than make the jump into the NBA.