Coach K stands firm on claim: I’m not leaving Duke for the Los Angeles Lakers

Published: 24th Mar 11 8:53 pm
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Every year that there is an open head coach position in the NBA, one of the first people called is Duke University’s Mike Krzyewski. In 2004, he almost jumped ship for a job with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he declined. Can he decline the captain’s chair on the Los Angeles sideline again?

According to ESPN’s Arash Markazi, Coach K plans on doing just that.

“I’ve never thought of ever leaving Duke for another school, but there were three serious times where I almost left to go to the pros,” Krzyzewski said. “One was when Dave Gavitt took over the Celtics (1990), another was with the Trailblazers (1994) and the one that I took to a really far level was the Lakers situation. They were great with me. I just could not give up what I’ve done and gotten at Duke. It just wasn’t worth it.”

With that said, I think the Duke phones should officially quit ringing.

A lot of coaches say one thing and do another, but Coach K is one of the most trustworthy coaches college hoops or the media have ever dealt with. Why would he change his morals now? A man of his class wouldn’t.

Also, if he didn’t take the Lakers job with a 25-year old Kobe Bryant, why would he do it with a 32-year old Kobe Bryant with a million more miles on his legs? Bryant is far from done, but what coach would pass on a great player in the middle of his prime and then come back to him 7 years later at the end of his prime? It doesn’t make sense.

Sure, the Lakers have a talented roster they didn’t have in 2004, but it is full of players as old as Bryant. I don’t think Shannon Brown is a selling point for any coach to leave an environment similar to Coach K has at Duke.

Coach K is the face of Duke, why would he want to leave college  hoops for the NBA? Money, no, he is set for the rest of his life because of his success at Duke. NBA spotlight, no, he has the nation’s attention every October to March right where he is at. Players, no, he recruits some of the best talent the NCAA or NBA has ever seen. Plus, if he doesn’t get the opportunity to coach elite talents such as Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant or Derrick Rose at Duke, he makes up for it by coaching the USA Basketball Team.

Someone will always bring up the argument of Coach K not being able to coach at the NBA level.

I think this is a false statement because he wins at both the college and Olympic level with players who have won NBA championships. What difference would being in the NBA make? Other college coaches have went to the NBA and failed, but none of them have the resume Coach K has.

Some people are meant to be teaching coaches and help boys become men. Coach K has done a tremendous job that few others can compare with. If he has done such a great job changing young people’s lives, why would he want to quit now…or ever?

 

 

 

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