Chicago Native Son Gracious and Humble After Milestone
New York– There was buzz and energy outside the storied arena. People were hawking and begging for tickets. Yes, street cart vendors really do sell roasting chestnuts on the corners. Just like that, it was over and everybody was hugging.
Coach ‘K’ directs like a symphony conductor during the Michigan State and Duke basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was a historic evening.
Photo courtesy of Duke Sports
His former players were trying to hug him. Coach ‘K’ that is. Coach ‘K’ is a respectful and reverent title. He is accorded that courtesy and much more. He has earned it.
Mike Krzyzewski went across court and hugged his former coach Bob Knight after breaking the record for most games won at 903. It was the 74-69 win over Michigan State at a sold out 19, 979 strong Madison Square Garden that put ‘Coach K’ over the top. Krzyzewski, now in his 37th year of coaching had played for and had been an assistant for Coach Knight at Army.
When I asked ‘Coach K’ what he had said to Coach Knight, Krzyzewski said, “I just told him, Coach, I’m not sure people tell you this, but I love you, and I love what you’ve done for me, and thank you.” This had transpired after the game amidst jostling camera’s, credentialed media and aggressive New York paparazzi. They had hugged for a moment while Krzyzewski walked over and leaned over the ESPN television monitors to embrace Knight. Knight had held the previous record. It was a special moment for most as many stayed to watch the post game reactions.
Krzyzewski grew up in Chicago and played for and was mentored by Knight at Army. Four decades later finds himself surpassing his old coach. Knight said in his booming voice, “You’ve done pretty good for a kid who couldn’t shoot.” ‘Coach K’ smiling added quickly, “So I think that meant he loves me, too.”
Duke struggled to win the game especially with a MSU spirited run near the end. Blue Devil guard Andre Dawkins scored 26 points as a highlight but Duke had sloppy offensive play. So this Champions Classic on a Tuesday night in November wasn’t up to par as the two teams practiced only a few weeks in advance and only a few games under their belt. State had recently come from San Diego playing on Veterans Day in another big-hyped game. Their travel schedule didn’t help their basketball sense or ‘sea-legs.’
Duke assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski has been around for hundreds of Coach K’s victories as a member of the staff and as one of his point guards had much to add. “He’d probably have gotten to this a lot sooner if I hadn’t played,” Wojciechowski said smiling. “It’s pretty sweet. Not just the wins, but how he did it. He didn’t talk one time about the record, which is pretty remarkable.”
There certainly was pressure on the Blue Devils to get the record here at the Garden, with so many Duke alumni making a special trip to be here. Some of Krzyzewski’s former Blue Devils that were in the audience: Elton Brand, Jason Williams, Grant Hill, Carlos Boozer, Shane Battier and New Jersey St. Anthony home boy, Bobby Hurley. “I can’t say I’m surprised because I saw firsthand the level of preparation, the level of passion he put into his program every single day,” said Battier. Battier who won a title with ‘Coach K’ at Duke excitedly added, “It’s just amazing to be here on this night to see the culmination of this work.”
The Blue Devils had to hang on at the end as Michigan State made a late run. The game was competitive and Duke did enough and Krzyzewski’s record was cheered majestically.
“I thought we were tight, or tentative, the whole first half,” Krzyzewski said at the post game address. “I don’t know if the moment was so big. We tried to downplay the moment, but obviously so many people being here and it’s in the Garden. It becomes a big thing. It put some pressure on the team.”
“It’s a special moment,” Krzyzewski said of his family and former players being there. “At halftime I wasn’t sure we were going to have this moment. We beat a really good team, and I’m glad now we can just move on and just develop our team.”
‘Coach K’ made an adjustment as junior forward Ryan Kelly delivered nine points in the beginning of the second half and Tyler Thornton pressed a defensive spark to create a 19 point lead.
His body of accomplishments as a coach — 11 Final Fours, four NCAA championships, an Olympic gold medal, enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and 1991 induction into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame have more sparkle than this one game. “Ray, to me, it’s more relief to get on to the next thing,” Krzyzewski said. Next year he is even scheduled to coach the NBA players in the 2012 London Olympics.
His first career victory didn’t generate anything close to this energy but it was the start along the path that would lead to the all-time wins record. By the way, it was on Nov. 28, 1975, when Army beat Lehigh 56-29 in the season opener for both teams. That first Division I, head coaching win showed very clearly that the then 28-year-old West Point coach was going to be very special. Also and most importantly, he is not done.
Editors Note: Raymond Rolak is a past Chairman of the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.