Mike Krzyzewski, also popularly known as ‘Coach K’, has left a permanent mark on the sport of basketball. In the intense world of college basketball, where great players are made, Coach K’s mentorship has played an important role in shaping many globally renowned players.
In an interview, Jayson Tatum revealed a story of him getting ‘cussed out’ by Coach K in his NCAA days.
Jayson Tatum’s NCAA journey under Coach K
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Standing at 2.03m, Jayson Tatum was the third overall pick of the Boston Celtics in the 2017 NBA draft. He has made a name for himself in the basketball world with his remarkable journey. After being drafted, he quickly proved his worth with a double-double in his NBA debut and earned recognition as the Eastern Conference’s Rookie of The Month in December 2017. But his rookie year was only the beginning of his impressive journey.
In his NCAA days, Tatum played for Duke under the mentorship of Coach K. In an interview, Tatum revealed a story of him getting cussed out by Coach K during half-time in an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) match as Tatum only scored 2 points in the first half.
During half-time when all the players were sitting in the locker room, Coach K came in the room and started cussing Tatum, he said, “…he just took his jacket off and he threw it at me, he threw it right at me, he was like, ‘You soft a** St Louis kid,’ he was like, ‘I should have left you in St Louis if you was gonna play like this, you should have never came to Duke,’” revealed Tatum. This made Tatum very mad and “pissed”, and he ended up scoring a total of 30 points and winning the game.
In another interview with Graham Bensinger, Tatum revealed the story of him when he was first recruited by Coach K.
The recruitment visit at Tatum’s house
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In the interview, Tatum talked about his reaction when Coach K showed up at his house to recruit him.
A few days after winning the 2015 national championship, Coach K visited Tatum’s house. Following a conversation with his parents, the meeting seemed to be over and Coach K started to leave, but he was stopped by Tatum’s father, who said, “Coach before you leave, I think lil Jay wants to say something,” Tatum revealed. He further continued, “…and I was, ‘Oh s**t,’ I was like, ‘Coach, I want to come to Duke.’”
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In the world of basketball, Coach K’s influence is undeniable, and his mentorship has left a permanent mark on countless players, including stars like Jayson Tatum.
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