Coach K helped bring the wins and respect back for USA
DURHAM (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - Mike Krzyzewski was the perfect man for a difficult job. That's the only assessment to be made of the coaching behemoth who ended his 10 years at the helm of the USA
DURHAM (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - Mike Krzyzewski was the perfect man for a difficult job. That's the only assessment to be made of the coaching behemoth who ended his 10 years at the helm of the United States at the 2016 Olympics.
The 69-year-old's last game in charge saw the USA rout Serbia, 96-66, in the Final of the Rio 2016 Olympic Basketball Tournament - the Americans' third consecutive Olympic Gold Medal Game triumph under him. It gave Coach K a record of 88 wins and just one defeat at the helm in FIBA World Basketball World Cups, Olympics and FIBA Americas Championships.
The long-time Duke University coach, already with a huge reputation before he took the USA reins, is arguably greatest coach in his national team's history. Krzyzewski talked about the aims and the accomplishments in a FIBA World Basketball television program that recently aired.
Krzyzewski's USA claimed third place at the 2006 FIBA Basketball World Cup
"Our very first goal was to win the respect of our country, and the world, for USA Basketball and to win gold medals," Krzyzewski said. "I think that has been achieved. I think our country respects what we have done, the manner we have done it. And certainly the world has.
"I think the world now looks at us and says, 'They're not arrogant. They're not people who just look at their own game. They're people who understand that what we do is beautiful, too.
"We've made a lot of friends along the way and that's the way we want to continue to do it. I'm most proud of that."
Winning, and doing so in the correct manner, was the number one priority for Jerry Colangelo, who took over the running of the USA's men's national side in 2005. His first big move was to hand the coaching reins to Krzyzewski, a West Point graduate who served in the United States Army from 1969-74.
"It's been one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me as a coach - probably is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me as a coach because the greatest honor is to be your country's coach." - Krzyzewski
"We needed to become part of the international community instead of trying to say our game is better or whatever," Krzyzewski said.
Krzyzewski hit a bump in the road at the start, in Japan 10 years ago. His first USA team - one that had LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul - was super talented yet fell 101-95 to Greece in the Semi-Finals of that year's FIBA Basketball World Cup, ensuring a third consecutive major tournament without a title for the Americans. They had lost to Yugoslavia in the Quarter-Finals of the previous World Cup in 2002 in Indianapolis under George Karl and to Argentina in the last four at the 2004 Olympics in Greece under Larry Brown.
The loss in 2006 cost the USA a title, yet it also sharpened the focus for Krzyzewski's sides in the ensuing years. There were close calls against Spain in the Gold Medal Games of the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and against Brazil in the Group Phase of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2010. The USA won those games, though.
By the time they had blown away Serbia in the Final of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, no side looked like it could come close to the Americans.
"When you play against countries like Argentina, who has built such a great reputation and such a spirit and is so well coached, first by Ruben Magnano, to beat them to play against them, has been an honor. Spain, with its talent and coaching, Lithuania with its tradition, France with as many NBA players as it's had, Brazil. I can go on and one, how Slovenia player together.
"There are so many good countries out there so you are going to have close games and we've been fortunate that we've been able to win those close games. We understand we can lose. I think there was a time when the United States team felt like it couldn't lose and they did. We understand that we can and we try to prepare so we will not."
The USA did struggle this year in Rio in the Group Phase, and against Spain the Semi-Finals, but still went undefeated.
Coach K admits he had an awakening of sorts at the helm of the USA.
"We as a country in the last decade have come to realize the beauty of the game internationally," he said.
"I think for a long time, we as a country saw it just from a country's viewpoint instead of a world's viewpoint. And so it's opened up my eyes to just how people can love the game, they're passionate about the game, teaching it, playing it and how they do it and it's added more depth for me as a basketball coach and it makes me feel good because I love the game and it's good to see that it's loved worldwide...
"(Leading the USA) it's been one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me as a coach - probably is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me as a coach because the greatest honor is to be your country's coach."
FIBA