Mike Krzyzewski had already won three NCAA titles with Duke when he was handed a more global challenge: manage and motivate the likes of LeBron and Kobe, and return Team USA to dominance. Ian_OConnor with more from his new book:
They had stayed in touch—James called with congratulations after Krzyzewski earned his 800th career victory—and there were signs that the relationship was improving. But when training camp opened in Vegas, says one U.S. staffer, “there were guys who were still very skeptical of Coach K.” Battier says he was “absolutely sure NBA players were skeptical of Coach K” in the early USA Basketball years, “especially the guys who didn’t play in college. . . . In the pros it’s different.
“A lot of people spoke from the heart. . . . Kobe said, ‘Coach, I’ll do anything you want. If you want me to take the last shot, I’ll do it. If you want me to guard the best player, I’ll do it.’ ” “He was leaning back in his chair, still this air left over from the first two summers. . . . He was reluctant. He knew the power he’d be extending Coach K. A great power struggle in sports was going on in that room.”
The room turned quiet, and one coach present says that “everyone in the room exhaled when LeBron finally spoke. . . . LeBron was not very trusting of male figures and coaches, and Coach K just wore him down and established a trust. That meeting was so emotional and empowering that I think LeBron was like, ‘All right, I’ve got to plant my flag here.’ ”
He did that, according to assistant Nate McMillan, because NBA stars are accustomed to slapping on their headphones and heading to the back of the bus to create space between themselves and the coaching staff. “Coach K wasn’t used to that,” McMillan says. So if Krzyzewski’s NBA players were going to enter and exit the bus through middle doors, to avoid passing the coaches seated in the front, these meetings ensured that he still got quality time with them.
But all in all, the Americans arrived for their final Olympic tune-up, against the Aussies, looking like a unified group. Krzyzewski was able to connect with this team, according to one of his bench players, former Duke big man Carlos Boozer, partly because as a college coach he was not carrying any NBA baggage. “He had no alliance with the Bulls or Lakers or Spurs,” Boozer says. “There was no old beef with a player. He didn’t knock you out of the NBA playoffs.
Over time, Kobe felt reinvigorated by the unique challenge before him. He had been a pro for 10 years and appreciated the fact that Coach K was motivating him in a way that had nothing to do with money. But standards are standards, and suddenly on the night of Aug. 5, 2008, Bryant wasn’t meeting Team USA’s. He took a few loose shots in the second half against Australia—enough to draw the attention of his teammates. The U.S. won 87–76 but looked exceedingly beatable in doing so.
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