USA - Mike Krzyzewski talks about coaching the 2008 Dream Team

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Mike Krzyzewski insists he's not feeling the pressure that comes with being the USA men's basketball head coach.

Despite facing win-gold-or-fail expectations as he prepares his squad for the Beijing Olympics, Duke's basketball coach is soaking up every minute of his experience coaching and being with the world's elite players.

"The challenge to me right now is this is very exciting," Krzyzewski said in a press conference on Duke's campus Wednesday. "I'll tell you it's the biggest responsibility I've had as a coach.

"But I'm excited about it. I don't feel pressure."

Krzyzewski, decked out in a USA Basketball polo shirt, went on to talk at length about his experience this past weekend, when he traveled with the team to New York. He mentioned how the team visited a Nike museum in Harlem — described by Krzyzewski as "unbelievable" — that contained artistic displays of past teams as well as the current one.

Then the players were presented their uniforms, and Krzyzewski remembered one of the team's forwards, Chris Bosh, saying, "Wow, I'm beginning to understand just how big this thing is."

"What I'm saying is we were uplifted," Krzyzewski said. "We were like, 'Wow.'"

The next day, the team took a boat ride by Ellis Island, which meant a lot to Krzyzewski because his grandfather came to the U.S. by way of the island. Tuesday night back in Durham, Krzyzewski used the experience as a talking point to young campers at Duke.

Krzyzewski said: "Can you imagine my grandfather, with his suitcases, talking to the guy next to him, and he says, 'You know what? My grandson, he's gonna be the coach of the U.S. national team.' And the other guy says, 'Is this guy nuts? He should get on the boat and go back.'

"But literally, I think of stuff like that — like how the heck does that happen? How lucky are you?"

This mindset, Krzyzewski said, is something he sees in all 12 of his superstar players. Throughout the past couple weeks, the players have repeatedly said that they're not taking this opportunity for granted, and that's something Krzyzewski fully believes.

While winning the gold medal is the only way the team will succeed in the eyes of the masses, Krzyzewski is proud of his team already for the way the players are handling themselves. Kobe Bryant, sure to be one of the stars, has already said that an Olympic gold medal would be the most special trophy on his mantle.

"On the surface, the winning will seem more (important) by far," Krzyzewski said, "but it won't be, I don't think.

"It's the impression that we will give along the way — and win. That's what will last, I think. And I think our guys get that."

As for the makeup of the team going into training camp, which begins July 21 in Las Vegas, Krzyzewski is very content. New Orleans center Tyson Chandler has been added as an alternate and would likely take the spot of an injured player who couldn't compete in Beijing. But for now, every roster member is ready for the Games.

The team's lone center, Dwight Howard, suffered a hairline fracture of his sternum during the playoffs and sat out the one-day mini-camp Saturday, but Krzyzewski said it was just a precaution.

As for the torn ligament in Bryant's right pinkie, Krzyzewski said, "Kobe's played with that injury for a couple months, and he said he's fine."

The team will get to test its cohesiveness in Las Vegas, when it scrimmages against a U.S. select team made up of players such as Seattle's Kevin Durant and Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge and it will also play an exhibition against Canada July 25 before flying overseas.

From what he's seen so far, Krzyzewski has been most impressed by the selflessness of his players.

"The cooperation of using their talents — to me, that's the bigger wow," Krzyzewski said. "That these guys are just so secure that they will share their talents and make each other better.

"That to me, that says a lot about the guys."

The players' team-first attitude will be embodied by a trio of point guards — Jason Kidd, Chris Paul and Deron Williams — who will run the show for the Americans.

"The game will start there at the point position," Krzyzewski said. "And we feel very good about that position. Those guys will do anything, whether they play 20 minutes or 2. They'll be ready to go."

Krzyzewski is just as comfortable with the state of Duke's program as he is with team USA's point guards. His commitment to the national team is taking up almost all his time this summer, and his top assistant Johnny Dawkins left to become Stanford's coach, but he's not stressed about how the summer recruiting will get done.

He said that his top two assistants, Steve Wojciechowski and Chris Collins, will attend tournaments while in Las Vegas before departing with the team for Asia, and new assistant Nate James will be all over the country checking out Duke's prospects.

Krzyzewski himself will watch a few prospects at the beginning of the recruiting period next week, but only briefly. He knows what his responsibility is for now, and the 61-year-old wants to make the most of his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"It's helped me come back to my own team and how I coach them," Krzyzewski said. "There's no question about that. You can't help but want to be in this thing."

"I've been so impressed with our guys. I mean, these guys are sensational. They're the way you would like, you would want your team to be."

"But now (that) we have all those intangibles, we have to turn it into (good) play. And we know that we're gonna have very stiff competition."