“That’s My Family”: Coach K Equates Olympics’ Teams to Wife and Loved Ones in Wholesome Reminiscence

Coach K is a household name. The unparalleled success he has achieved over the years has had fans rooting for him all throughout his tenure. In a recent interview, he gave an insight into his life that stuck a chord with the fans. However, it was his statement regarding the national USA team that grabbed a lot of eyeballs.

Former USA Basketball coach Krzyzewski gave an interview in a candid way to the CNN reporter. The video for the same was uploaded on the official CNN YouTube handle on December 25. He brought a feeling of solidarity with his words.

What did Coach K say?

Coach K could be seen reminiscing his life from early childhood and his family to the accomplishments he achieved with the USA National team with the help of photos. Taking cognizance of the same, he remembered that he “brought” together the best basketball players during his time as the head coach of the USA National team which had all the fans walking down the sweet memories.

“That’s my family. Whenever we played in the Olympics, we brought everybody,” stated Coach K. Notably, Krzyzewski won gold medal thrice with the USA national team. One time the medal came during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the other two included the 2012 London and 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics. The 2012 Olympics teams had greats who were rivals in the NBA. It comprised of the Los Angeles Lakers’ guard Kobe Bryant with the Miami Heat forward LeBron James. Additionally, it also had the Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant and guard James Harden. Other than that, it also starred the New York Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony.

The Finals of the 2012 London Olympics were played against the Spain. Team USA decimated their opponents by a decent 107-100 margin. The USA outfoxed their opponents in 2 quarters while the third was a tie and the second saw Spain announcing their dominance. Durant smashed a game-high 30 points and also nabbed 9 rebounds, missing a double-double by a narrow margin.

Whereas in the 2008 Olympics that won the gold at Beijing comprised of talents namely – Bryant, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Carlos Boozer and Carmelo Anthony. It was named as the Redeem Team because the USA could only clinch the bronze medal during the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2006 FIBA World Championship.

Read More: With Kansas Stumbling Out, Can Purdue Maintain Number 1 NCAA Status?

The Redeem was also nicknamed so because it was a play on the 1992 Dream Team. Thus, Krzyzewski was successful in bringing back the US glory. But his memories of the past did not end there.  

What other things did he talk about?

The 76-year-old talked about his mother for the work ethic he had inculcated while being in business. He recollected how he never saw his mother “sick or tired.” As per Coach K, his mother Emily worked hard to make it “nice” for him and his brother. He also talked about his father’s hard experiences with “ethnic discrimination.” The Chicago-born’s upbringing was quite evident as he became a successful coach, shattering many records.

Perhaps this was the motivation the fans need that not only inspires individuals on the court but also helps them in their personal lives. And it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Coach K has become a household name for the work ethic he follows, and the feeling of togetherness that he has brought to international as well as college basketball teams.

Watch This Story: Sending Shockwaves in The Basketball World, Know 18YO MiLaysia Fulwiley’s Story