Duke coach is a true sports hero
Wednesday, July 7, 2004 8:21 AM PDT
By Rick Woodson
Printable version
E-mail this articleIt's not easy to find heroes in sports these days. For me, there is too much money, too many egos, too little respect for others, too many pierced body parts, too much "I'm important," too little honesty and integrity.
I'm sure there are more Pat Tillmans out there, but they are few and far between.
Well, folks, Monday we found one, although he has been there all along. When Mike Krzyzewski said no to the Los Angeles Lakers and yes to his 25th season as the Duke University basketball coach, he moved to the top of my list.
Krzyzewski has been one of the most revered coaches in the country. He has won 621 games, been to the Final Four 10 times and won three national championships. Under Coach K, Duke has won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament 10 times and ranked No. 1 in the nation a dozen times, including the past seven seasons.
That's just about the time many coaches do the numbers, start hallucinating and somehow convince themselves that they really invented ---- in this case ---- basketball.
It happened to Steve Spurrier, who was so successful with his wide-open offense at the University of Florida that he actually thought he could teach the NFL a thing or two about the passing game. He spent two seasons losing games with the Washington Redskins before he found out he was in over his head.
Krzyzewski, though, is too smart to be dazzled by his own success at the college level. Sure, he saw the bright lights on the hill across the valley. He heard the music and laughter. But at the same time, he realized that neither the grass nor the cash is greener in Los Angeles than it is in Durham, N.C.
The Lakers supposedly offered Krzyzewski a five-year contract worth $40 million. But the truth is, coaches of his stature don't make such a move because they could use the money, they do it because they think they have something to prove ---- a la Steve Spurrier.
At his news conference announcing his decision to stay at Duke, Coach K said, "Duke has always taken up my whole heart ---- you have to follow your heart."
As opposed to, he might have added, following your ego.
Krzyzewski had the good sense to realize that when you're on top of the world, there's only one way left to go. When you're perfectly happy, there is no point in trying to be perfectly happier.
I can't help but wonder if Mike, while considering the move, told his wife, "Just think, Mickie, if I were coaching the Lakers, I'm sure we could go to dinner with Jack Nicholson! We could rub elbows with all those other celebrities and movie stars who go to every game."
Not only that, but the Krzyzewskis would be living in one of the most glamorous cities on the face of the earth. There are more people in a square mile of Los Angeles (population 3.7 million) than in all of Durham (population 187,000).
And in L.A., Coach K would be a celebrity coach instead of just a coach. He would be under such scrutiny that if he decided to switch from regular coffee to decaf, the media would report it. If he shook hands with Shaquille O'Neal, or patted Kobe Bryant on the butt, it would be on the evening news. Same thing if he frowned at one of them.
Ah, yes, Shaq and Kobe. Frankly, from all I've read about those two and their personal soap opera, the only players I would rather not coach would be Moe, Larry and Curly. O'Neal and Byrant are two more major reasons why Durham is a better fit for Krzyzewski.
Coach K would never admit it, but he must've known he would go from being the dog at Duke to the tail in L.A. Whoever takes the Lakers job ultimately will be subject to the approval of Shaq and/or Kobe ---- if, of course, one of them is still around next season.
Look, if Bryant's complaints about Shaq can get the game's dominant center out of town, then the coach doesn't have a prayer. If Kobe struts into general manager Mitch Kupchak's office and says, "Not only am I not gettin' the ball enough, but the guy's a jerk. So either he goes or I do," you tell me what's going to happen. Coaching the Lakers isn't a hot seat, it's a vice.
If the same thing happened at Duke, and the Blue Devils' best player complained to the athletic director about Krzyzewski, the AD would say, "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. And by the way, we'll miss you."
Anyway, for the rest of you successful coaches out there who are getting restless and can't wait until tomorrow because you're sure you're getting better every day, take Mike Krzyzewski's advice:
Don't fold a pat hand.
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