In an appearance on WIP sports radio in Philadelphia, Krzyzewski talked about his chances to coach in the pros and why he stayed with the Blue Devils. He also revealed that former player Billy King reached out to him in 2003, when King was G.M. of the 76ers and coach Larry Brown resigned. “I’ve been fortunate,” he said. “If you’re a successful coach or businessperson, you’re going to have opportunities. When professional opportunities occurred … I love Duke, in addition to college basketball. I love working at a university environment. You’re surrounded by great people, not just in sports. It has been proven to be pretty pure. It’s getting crazy now, but that was kind of (King) to even ask.”
Tag: Mike Krzyzewski
Obviously, Krzyzewski turned down his …
Obviously, Krzyzewski turned down his former player’s offer. “I wasn’t interested in anything at that time,” he said. “Two times, I was pretty interested. In 1990, when Dave Gavitt took over the Boston Celtics, I did interview with them. And in 2005, with the Lakers, at the end of the day, I didn’t do it.”
Appearing on Philadelphia sports radio …
Appearing on Philadelphia sports radio WIP’s morning show, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was asked about Okafor’s struggles with the 76ers and was very open and frank in discussing them. “Jahlil is a youngster that had to go (to the NBA), because of the economics,” he said. “He was going to be a top-three pick. Jahlil is one of the really great kids I’ve had the opportunity to coach. He has a pure heart. Now away from that, Jahlil’s maturity … This doesn’t mean he’s immature. He needed to be part of a village longer.”
Mike Krzyzewski: “We all go through …
Mike Krzyzewski: “We all go through things when were 18, 22—some of us do it the rest of our lives—that are new, and if we’re not in a structure or environment that can help us more. Not saying the Sixers didn’t. It’s on Jahlil. He didn’t have that. He made mistakes that he would never make. That happens all the time. I see it all the time, not just athletes but kids on campus. They have freedom. It’s their first time away from home. In his case, you’ve get money.”
Mike Krzyzewski: “I talked to Trajan …
Mike Krzyzewski: “I talked to Trajan Langdon, the GM of the Pelicans (and former Duke player). He’s raved about Jah. He still has to transform his game to the NBA. As far as a role model (he’s been) the best. Not (just) good. I’m proud of him, because he’s learned from the mistakes he made. It’s not on the 76ers. It’s on him, and he’s taken responsibility. Once he took responsibility it was the start of him changing and conquering some of the bad habits he had.”
While Coach K admits the NCAA faces …
While Coach K admits the NCAA faces more difficult challenges that professional leagues, NCAA will still follow the lead of their pro counterpart. “I think college will try to learn from what the professional sports do,” he said. “You gotta just be really careful, but again you have to bring things back too. We’re gonna watch what the NBA does especially, and I’m sure college football is going to watch what the NFL does.”
You played for one of the best coaches …
You played for one of the best coaches of all-time in Coach K. What were some of the lessons he taught you that you are most grateful for now? Cassius Stanley: I would probably say accountability. He runs the program like a pro team. He supports his players a lot. He taught us so many things. He taught us off-the-court stuff. He would teach it himself or he would have other people just stressing it. We had a nutrition staff, we had a strength-and-conditioning staff. Everything was high level. He taught me and he taught all of us how to be real men and be professionals.
In an interview with Coach K that was …
In an interview with Coach K that was overrun with basketball analogies, Fauci stressed the same talking points that he has stressed in every appearance that he has made over the course of the last month. The coronavirus pandemic is incredibly serious, we have not yet come close to winning the fight against it and the only way to save lives, slow this thing down and get back to normal is social distancing.
In simple terms, Fauci, again, told …
In simple terms, Fauci, again, told Krzyzewski we need to stay at home if they want COVID-19 to be a thing of the past. “The [battle with coronavirus] is going to go on for several weeks, Coach K,” Fauci said. “The issue is that we have a large country and we have different metropolitan areas.” “If you want to do the basketball analogy, that right now we have a team that’s a very powerful team, and that’s the virus, and what we need to do is that we’ve got to play a full-court press. We can’t let them get the ball on the ground to dribble. We’ve just got to be all over them,” he added. “I mean, that’s what we’ve really got to do, because that’s the only tool we have right now.”
Fauci also told Krzyzewski that we are …
Fauci also told Krzyzewski that we are “not even at halftime,” and that the only way to truly combat the coronavirus is to do everything we can as a nation to avoid contact with other human beings. “We are not yet at the point where we’re turning the corner and we’re coming around the bend and coming down as a country,” Fauci said later, a reference to flattening the curve.