Coach K wary of threat to legacy as he leads Team USA to the Olympics again – NBA Update
Mike Krzyzewski was the man called upon in 2008 as the United States looked to assert themselves again on the international basketball scene, more importantly, on the Olympics. The legendary Duke coach answered the call and duly delivered a gold medal in
Beijing.
Now he has been asked to do it all over again, and heading out to London, the wily tactician is wary of the task at hand, as well as the consequences that would follow.
Over the years, Krzyzewski has built up a reputation as one of the best basketball coaches in the world. He has resisted the lure of the NBA and stayed as the head coach at Duke since 1980, ushering in generation after generation of NBA calibre ball players.
He went outside his comfort zone for the first time in 2008, and the gold in Beijing only served to increase his legend. That is why Krzyzewski knows that a failure to repeat the success on London Olympics 2012 can put a serious dent in his otherwise impeccable
record.
“My family felt relieved when we won in 2008,” Krzyzewski said. “Because if you lose, you know you’re going to get it (criticism). So why would you want to do it again?”
However that is the drug of the game, the wanting to do it one more time, even though Coach K knows it will only be tougher this time around. He is though going in with a positive frame of mind for the London Olympics 2012.
“I can’t be worried about losing and what that would mean,” Krzyzewski said in a recent interview. “I couldn’t afford not to be a part of this one more time.”
On a lighter note, Mike said he would be taking all his family with him to London for the games. The popular coach also threw in a movie reference while at it.
“We’ll take all eight of our grandchildren, my daughters, their husbands – everybody,” Krzyzewski said, “The Clampetts went to China in 2008. Now the Clampetts will go to London. We’ll set the international relationships back a couple of decades I’m sure.”
It’s the ability to create that family atmosphere around the team that has set Coach K apart for such a long time.
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