Category Archives: Olympics

NBA players react to Krzyzewski’s return to USA Basketball

Posted on by
Leave a reply
Mike Krzyzewski will coach the US Men's National Team through the 2016 Olympics (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

Mike Krzyzewski will coach the US Men’s National Team through the 2016 Olympics (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

This morning, USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo announced that Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski would return as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team through the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Here are some reactions from a number of NBA players on the Blue Devil head coach spending four more years at the helm of Team USA.

Miami Heat forward LeBron James, bronze medalist at the 2006 FIBA World Championship and gold medalist at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games:

“I think it’s great. What he means to USA Basketball is beyond just what we do on the court, it’s what we stand for as Americans in being proud to wear the Red, White and Blue every time we step on the bus, at practice, or talk to the media or whatever the case may be. So I think it’s great.

I have the utmost respect and trust in coach K. Whatever his decision was going to be, I think we would all support him.

It would be great [to play in 2016]. First I have to make sure I stay healthy. If I’m fortunate enough to stay healthy, I would love to represent my country again.”

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, gold medalist and MVP at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and gold medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games:

“Playing for Coach K in 2010 and 2012 was an amazing experience. he’s a great coach, and USA Basketball is blessed to have him. He coaches with great passion, but always keeps us calm, and makes sure we are prepared for our opponents. I greatly respect his leadership, and always want to go out and play hard for him.”

(Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

(Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, gold medalist at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games:

“The news on Coach K with USA Basketball is great. He is an incredible coach who worked tirelessly to prepare us for different opponents. Even as a veteran, I learned a lot from his leadership. I appreciate all he’s done over the years for USA Basketball, and our country, in this position. I think Team USA is in great hands for the next four years.”

Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh, bronze medalist at the 2006 FIBA World Championship and gold medalist at the 2008 Olympic Games:

“He’s a great coach, one of the best to coach the game. I’m sure the USA Basketball community is very happy to have him back.”

Minnesota Timberwolves center Kevin Love, gold medalist at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and 2012 Olympic Games:

“I think Coach K is an excellent choice. I had a great time playing for him in 2010 and 2012. I have so much respect for him as a man and a coach, and I hope I get to play for him again in the future.”

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chauncey Billups, gold medalist at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and member of the USA Basketball Board of Directors:

“Playing for Coach K was one of the highlights of my career. I learned a great deal from him. We are lucky to have him lead us again.”

Mike Krzyzewski sounds off on his return to USA Basketball

Posted on by
1 Reply
President Brodhead and Coach Krzyzewski shake hands during Thursday's press conference. (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

President Brodhead and Coach Krzyzewski shake hands during Thursday’s press conference. (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

In a press conference this morning at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski accepted an invitation to return as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team through the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Here are some soundbites from the press conference, of Krzyzewski, USA Basketball’s Jerry Colangelo and Duke’s Richard Brodhead.

Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball Chairman

  • “I couldn’t be happier to have Coach K back. I’m kind of old fashioned. I never really accepted the fact that he wasn’t coming back.”
  • “I just think it is a perfect fit for him. I think his legacy is very much tied to USA Basketball as it certainly is to Duke University.”
  • “I could not have picked a better guy to be in that foxhole with than Coach K.”

Richard Brodhead, Duke University President

  • “[Krzyzewski] has unique talents for motivating people, making them want to live up to the very fullest of their potential, and learning and understand how they can do things together that none of them can accomplish on their own.”
  • “Duke didn’t lose any of Mike Krzyzewski by having [him] become the coach of the Olympics. I think that [he's] been more into coaching at Duke in [his] Olympic years than [he] ever [was] before.”

Mike Krzyzewski, USA Men’s Basketball Head Coach

  • “It’s the ultimate honor, really, to coach our country’s team, and it’s the ultimate honor of a player to play for his country’s team.”
  • “When I said I wasn’t going to do it, I felt that I wasn’t going to do it. I felt it gave USA Basketball an opportunity to look at everything. I wanted to still become a part of USA Basketball. That started the discussions of staying involved.”

    Mike Krzyzewski will officially return to USA Basketball through the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

    Mike Krzyzewski will officially return to USA Basketball through the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

  • “We’ll try to do these next four years the way we did the last seven, and that’s to build it with the best players available, try to get as many of the best players as we can. They’re the ones who make an amazing commitment.”
  • “I got better [as a coach from coaching the Olympics].”
  • “It really doesn’t take that much time away during recruitment. Most of this stuff is done during August, which is not a time you’re allowed to be out.”
  • “I think [my involvement with the Olympics] has only helped our program.”
  • “I don’t think anybody should coach the [Olympic] team unless their coaching [somewhere else]. In other words, you have to stay sharp, so I’m coaching in the best league against the best competition, the best players, that I can.”
  • “I don’t see an end [to my coaching at Duke] and obviously I’m not going to end before the Olympics.”
  • “Our team next year for Duke is very athletic. It will mirror some of the things that were some of the things we’ve done for the Olympics, where you’d have guys with multiple positions. We’re still trying to get a waiver for LeBron [James] and Kobe [Bryant] to come back and use their college eligibility.”

Report: Mike Krzyzewski could return to USA Basketball

Posted on by
Leave a reply

Mike Krzyzewski was adamant about leaving the USA Basketball program following the 2012 Olympics in London which produced yet another gold medal for the men’s basketball program. Now the Duke basketball head coach could be changing his mind.

Mike Krzyzewski is pondering a return to USA Basketball. (File Photo).

Mike Krzyzewski is pondering a return to USA Basketball. (File Photo).

In a phone interview with Sports Illustrated, Krzyzewski admitted there is a chance that he’ll return to USA Basketball. Krzyzewski revealed that he and USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo have been talking about a deal that would keep Krzyzewski in charge through the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. As recently as February, Krzyzewski insisted he was not going to reprise his role as coach of USA Basketball.

Since taking the helm of USA Basketball in 2005, Krzyzewski has gone 62-1 in international play, including gold medals in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Istanbul and the 2012 Games in London. His sole bronze medal came during the 2006 World Championships in Japan, where team USA lost to Greece.

Colangelo says that a final decision from Krzyzewski could be made in as little time as a week.

Even if Krzyzewski does return, there will be changes to his coaching staff, which previously included Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni, former Trailblazer head coach Nate McMillan and Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim. Boeheim is not expected to be cut from the coaching staff. If Krzyzewski does not return, possible replacements include Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.

Soundbites from Johnston and McCrory’s return to the US

Posted on by
Leave a reply

Duke divers Abby Johnston and Nick McCrory arrived at Raleigh/Durham International Airport Monday after becoming the first divers in Duke history to qualify for the Olympic Games. The pair did not come home empty handed, either.

Johnston and her diving partner, Kelci Bryant, earned the first American medal in the history of synchronized diving when they took silver in the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard event. McCrory and David Boudia earned a medal for the United States the following night when they earned bronze in the men’s synchronized 10-meter platform event. McCrory also competed individually in the men’s 10-meter platform final, where he placed ninth.

Johnston and McCrory were accompanied on their flight home by Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who had just led USA basketball to its second consecutive gold medal at the Olympic Games. The three addressed the media together upon their arrival at RDU, reflecting on their Olympic experiences.

Here are some pieces of both Johnston and McCrory’s press conferences, courtesy of The Chroicle’s sports photography editor, Elysia Su. Her photos from the event can be viewed in our post from Tuesday. Soundbites from Krzyzewski’s press conferences at RDU can be viewed in our post from yesterday as well.

Johnston on whether the 2012 Games surpassed their expectations:

“I think it was even better than I’ve ever imagined. As a little kid you watch the Olympics and say ‘I want to go there one day’ and I actually executed that. It was just unbelievable. There were so many times where I just had chills or tears in my eyes because I was just so happy.”

Johnston on returning to Duke:

“I’m excited to be back at school and be on campus. I missed it a lot. I missed my classes and my friends, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Johnston on the historic nature of their medals, the first by the US in diving since 2000:

“This was the first synchronized medals in history and it was really great to be a part of that. You had that feeling that the teams, the way we worked together, everyone had this sense that good things were going to happen. Kelci and I started it off with the silver medal and got the ball rolling. It was really exciting to watch the rest of my team perform really well and make history.”

Johnston on her other favorite moments from the Olympics:

“When I walked in at opening ceremonies, standing in the tunnel chanting USA with all of the top US athletes. That was a really great moment. As I walked into the stadium I had tears in my eyes. I was so happy, so apart from getting on the podium that was definitely a highlight.”

Johnston on what she will do with her Olympic medal:

“I think I’ll keep it in my room. My mom was like ‘don’t lose it’, but I’ll keep it safe. A lot of people have asked to try it on, at first I was a little protective of it because it’s something I’ve wanted for so long. But I remember being younger and wearing Laura Wilkinson’s gold medal and I was so inspired by it, so I’m glad to get to pass that along.”

Johnston on what was going through her head on the podium:

“I was really shocked when I was standing on the podium and the medal was finally around my neck. Actually on our flight over in the catalogue they had a story about the medals and what the different significance of things are. I’m looking through the magazine and I see that and I close it. I was like ‘I don’t want to jinx myself’ but then I peaked at it and closed it again. I just said ‘I’ll just learn about it after I get one’. I stlll need to read up about what everything means but it was a really incredible experience. Standing on the podium and seeing the US flag being raised was the best moment of my entire life.”

McCrory on how it feels to be back in the United States:

“It feels incredible. I’m so glad to be home. This welcome was incredible, and it’s really hitting me that I just went to the Olympics. It was a long journey, and it feels like forever but at the same time it seems like just yesterday I was just leaving. So it’s been a lot of emotions, it’s just been incredible.”

McCrory on competing in multiple Olympic events, which were separated by nearly two weeks:

“I’m still really both physically and mentally tired. I was so excited to be able to compete in two events, so I was really glad I was able to do that. It was really tough competing at the beginning and then having the downtime and getting refocused to compete again, but it was awesome. It was a fun meet to be a part of.”

McCrory on what they are looking forward to most about being home:

“We’re going to be regular students for a little while. [Abby and I] are excited to go back to Duke and be regular students again.”

Johnston on the prospect of competing at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro:

“I’m not entirely sure yet. I’ve been thinking about it, but we’ll have to see how this year goes first.”

Follow @DanielHCarp on Twitter

Krzyzewski soundbites from his arrival at RDU

Posted on by
Leave a reply

Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski arrived at Raleigh/Durham International Airport yesterday after leading the USA men’s basketball team to a gold medal in 2012 Olympic Games in London.

With his second consecutive Olympic gold medal, also winning as the head coach in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Krzyzewski spoke to the media at the airport, in addition to Blue Devil divers Nick McCrory and Abby Johnston, who separately earned medals in synchronized diving at the games.

Here are some highlights from Krzyzewski’s press conferences, courtesy of The Chronicle’s sports photography editor Elysia Su, whose photos from the event can be viewed in our post from earlier today.

Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski spoke to the media at Raleigh/Durham International Airport about being the head coach of the USA men's basketball team, which won the gold medal in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

On his reaction to winning, whether it was more excitement or relief:

“It’s more excitement, in the last couple minutes, I don’t think my reactions on the sidelines were out of relief. It was like, ‘Whoa, this is unbelievable.’”

On Duke basketball assistant coaches Chris Collins and Steve Wojciechowski’s importance to the success of the team as assistants in London:

“Having these guys is one of the changes we made in USA basketball. There was one practice—you have to be credentialed to get in—and most of the places we practiced you didn’t have to be credentialed. We had one practice and it’s Nate [McMillan, myself, Jim [Boeheim] and Mike [D'Antoni]. It was not good. We all had great ideas. It was like a bunch of old professors and we said do it, but it’s better to actually have someone else do it. So we’re trying to run the drills and the players are laughing. Chris Paul and LeBron pushed us out of the way and said ‘We know the drills. We’ll run them.’”

On the teamwork of the players on Team USA:

“Everybody worked as a team—the cooperation of our players was unbelievable. We were the most athletic [team], but the most together one, really. Our guys really got along.”

“It’s such an honor to win this thing and the way they won it makes it even better.”

“No country has ever won the Olympics, the world championships, then the Olympics three-in-a-row, so we’re all very proud of that.”

“We had five players who averaged double figures. [Kevin] Durant was the leading scorer, [Kevin] Love was the leading rebounder, actually LeBron [James] led us in assists and Chris Paul led us in steals. It was a team that did what it really needed to do to make it work. We looked real small out there at time—talented, don’t get me wrong.”

On the style of play, defenses and rebounding in international basketball:

“I wonder how many teams put a box-in-one on a team LeBron was on and he wasn’t the one, or Kobe [Bryant] wasn’t the one or Carmelo [Anthony] wasn’t the one.”

“We averaged 37 threes a game and made about 16 of them, and that was a key part. And I didn’t know this going in if we would be a good rebounding team and we ended up being a great rebounding team, averaging about 15 offensive boards per game. I think a large part of that is the long rebounds.”

On the unselfish nature of the players and Kobe Bryant’s 20-point second half against Australia to propel Team USA to the semifinals:

“One of the cool things about that game was Kobe was struggling a little bit and as soon as he hit that first shot—the whole bench, and these are guys who are so unselfish, said ‘shoot it’—then we got a steal and it was a 3-on-1 and he was about 25 feet away. ‘Shoot it!” And then he had about four threes in about 66 seconds.”

“They felt every shot their teammate shot was theirs.”

On repeatedly stating that this Olympics will be his last as the head coach of Team USA:

“I’m really sure. This is a huge a commitment. I thank Duke university, Dr. Brodhead, Kevin White, Joe Alleva before him for allowing me the opportunity to do this…. It’s time to pass the baton without letting it drop.”

On McCrory and Johnston’s success at the games and their commitment:

“The commitment an individual athlete has to make is outstanding. I’ve known Nick for a few years and Abby we’ve talked around the world championships a couple years ago and we’re following them during the Olympics. We can make a mistake, have a turnover and make up for it. When Abby and Nick are on their last dive and they have to hit it, they have to hit it. I can’t even imagine that pressure and for them to respond in the manner in which they did. It’s a lot better than what we did.

As a coach, Lebron and Kobe and those guys are doing it for me. Those two youngsters are doing it on their own against the world.”

Check The Blue Zone tomorrow for quotes from McCrory and Johnston, who also spoke to the press.

Follow @andrewlbeaton on Twitter

PHOTOS: Duke Olympians return home

Posted on by
Leave a reply

Yesterday, Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Blue Devil divers Nick McCrory and Abby Johnston returned to the United States after all earning medals at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Krzyzewski and Team USA won the gold medal in the men’s basketball competition while McCrory earned bronze in the 10-meter synchronized platform dive competition with partner David Boudia and Johnston won silver in the 3-meter synchronized dive competition with Kelci Bryant.

The gold was Krzyzewski’s second in as many tries, also having won at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, while Johnston and McCrory’s medals were America’s first ever in ones in synchronized diving.

The trio arrived at Raleigh/Durham International Airport yesterday evening–check out these photos from the scene:


2012/08/13 Divers & Coach K Post-Olympics @ RDU – Images by Duke Student Publishing Co. Duke Chronicle