Mike Krzyzewski officially retired as Duke's head coach in 2022, but the Hall of Famer is still the engine behind the Blue Devils' operations.
Coach K often let his actions do the talking, and in a recent X (formerly Twitter) post by Duke's men's basketball team, the legendary coach baffled everyone, including Jayson Tatum . Like every pair of eyes watching, the Boston Celtics superstar was shocked after spotting the 77-year-old hitting the bench press.
Coach K's work ethic shouldn't surprise anyone. He was a captain of the Army basketball team, graduated from West Point, and served five years as an officer in the U.S. Army. The legendary coach's penchant for hard work and training followed him until old age.
Playing under Coach K
Tatum was a one-and-done prospect that Krzyzewski brought from St. Louis, Missouri, to Durham in 2016. Like other standouts in the past, the 6-foot-8 forward flourished under his mentorship.
The partnership did not bring Duke an NCAA title, as they were bounced in the second round of the 2017 March Madness by South Carolina. However, Tatum cemented himself as a multi-faceted NBA prospect after averaging 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks. He made the All-ACC Freshmen First Team and Third Team All-ACC in his lone college season, ranking in the top 5 in three categories.
Tough love
Coach K is as tough as it gets, especially toward players like Tatum, who have enormous potential. To prove that, JT remembered when the three-time Olympic gold-medal-winning coach threw a jacket at him and cursed him out after a lackluster effort.
"We was playing at Virginia. ACC game and Virginia was one of the best defenses in the country. I think I'm making the right play. I'm catching it; I'm making the extra pass. I'm not really being aggressive; I may have, like, four points," recalled Tatum on The Draymond Green Show.
"I come in, and I'm feeling good about it. And I remember Coach K coming in… He took his jacket, and he threw it right at me. It hit my leg and my feet and he just starts snapping. 'You soft-a** St. Louis kid. I should have left you where I found you!'" the Celtics forward added.
At the end of that game, Tatum was fuming over what Coach K said but redirected his wrath to the opposition. He finished with 28 points, making six three-pointers in a 10-point win. After that, JT always had a score-first mentality, bolstered by Mike's unwavering guidance.
Needless to say, the tough love worked. Jayson is now an indispensable cog of the 2024 champion Celtics, a three-time NBA First Team member, and an Olympic gold medalist. The scary thing is, at 26, he is still scratching the surface of his potential.
All things considered, Coach K created a monster. Under his watch, Tatum absorbed every ounce of that legendary fire, becoming a fearsome force that mirrors his own.
Related: “This motherf***** didn’t speak up"- Coach K on waiting for LeBron to speak to the group during the Redeem Team's first meeting
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