Mike Krzyzewski, also known as Coach K, was the head coach of the Duke basketball team for over 40 years. From 1980-2022, coach K was leading the Blue Devils, but in 2004, he had the opportunity to go to the NBA and coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. The job was obviously turned down, but now the Lakers are being led by a former Blue Devil as JJ Redick is now the head coach.
Coach K turned down the job back in the day, but if he was 57 again and offered the job today, he thinks he would’ve accepted it.
“I think if I was 57 now and it was offered, I would go,” Krzyzewski said, according to an article from ESPN. “I still love Duke. College basketball is terrific — the product. All the stuff you have to do for it, it’s not as gratifying as it was 20 years ago. At least for me.”
When the Lakers were looking for a new coach then, they were looking for someone that would be the best fit for their star, Kobe Bryant. Coach K came to mind.
“It was like, ‘Hey, what are you looking for Kobe?’” Rob Pelinka said. “And he just started talking about discipline and militaristic and inspirational and hard-nosed and Coach’s name just came to light. And then before, you know it, the Lakers made an attempt to hire him.”
Playing for Coach K is something special. He did a good job of getting a lot of elite players to come play for the Duke basketball team, and JJ Redick is one of them.
“Coach was the primary reason that I went to Duke — to play for him,” Redick said. “So I definitely called some friends at different schools. I was like, ‘Hey, uh, do you guys have a spot? I might be transferring.’”
JJ Redick ended up being the guy from the Duke basketball program to take the Lakers job, and he talked with Mike Krzyzewski before taking the job.
“Just to find out, is this a lark or is it, you know, an ego trip?” Krzyzewski said. “Because, not that I’m saying he’s looking for that, but it can be intoxicating to get attention and in a different way. Like, he already proved himself in the media world, got to the highest rung right away on TV. It was basically to find out, are you serious? … And he said, ‘I am serious.’ He said, ‘I want to be an NBA coach. I think I can be a really good NBA coach.’”
Redick also shared some stories about his talk with Coach K, and it sounds like it was beneficial for both of them.
“A lot of that initial phone call was just explaining to him what was on my heart and my mind and sort of what I wanted to do, which was coach,” Redick said. “And I think that that got him more excited, to be honest with you. …That was not a ploy for media attention, believe me.”
Now, Redick is getting ready for his first season with the Lakers. His first regular season game as head coach will be on October 22nd at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
