Coach K ended nearly half a century of his basketball coaching career and ended his 41-year saga at Duke.
Surely one of the two greatest coaches in college basketball history.
He and Grandpa Woodden are high and low, and leave it to historians to comment.
And, one of the greatest pure basketball coaches of all time.
Using the analogy of an NBA coach, Grandpa Woodon can be compared to a cardinal, who pioneered the era and immortal dynasty. Of course Grandpa Woodon's personality is much better.
Coach K is like Popovich, long and persistent, constantly adjusting, the pinnacle of modern basketball.
And they're all basketball coaches in their purest possible way.
Old K's achievements are well known: with Duke five national titles, only Grandpa Woodon's seven crowns ahead of him.
The ACC's various championships are not finished, not mentioned.
When the U.S. men's basketball assistant coach won two Olympic championships, as the manager three Olympic champions and two World Championships champions.
The person who won the most in college basketball history.
The emphasis on pure coaching is because...
College coaches and NBA coaches are becoming more and more like two different professions.
One thing that few people mention:
Thirty years ago, before the formation of the Dream Team in 1992, coach K was already the biggest favorite of the manager at that time. After all, he was taking Duke invincible.
But when the United States decided to use NBA players to form Dream One, it had to be replaced.
Why change people?
Because the superstars with Dream One can't use old-school pure coaches, such as Motta, Fitzsimmons, nor can you use young coaches such as Adelman and Zen masters. Riley was too ferocious, the Wilkens were too kind, and Brown's tactics were too complex.
In the end, Grandpa Daley was chosen, because he could coax people and town to live.
At the time, the committee acknowledged that coach K, who was 45 years old at the time, was "talented and tenacious", but because of this, it was not suitable for Yumeichi.
Many successful coaches at American universities will be tempted to try it out in the NBA.
Some succeeded, such as Grandpa Larry Brown, but as we all know, he was in Philadelphia and AI happy to get together, only to build a steel division in the Pistons, to go to the chores of the New York Knicks lifelong fame is almost destroyed, and finally only in a small team like charlotte Bobcats to turn over. Pitino didn't say anything either.
So a famous coach like Calipali is always on the edge of the NBA, but refuses to stay long.
The NBA world needs coaches who can coax players, how many coaches are not very talented, but because they can get along with players, there are bowls of rice everywhere?
Coach K said that one of the important principles of his coaching is to "have players who can be trained". Then there's the family atmosphere, personality, intelligence, and talent.
In 2009, Popovich's expression was similar: "The Spurs only need players who listen to their coaches and play well, train well and go home to sleep."
Old K is very skillful. No one compares in controlling the psychology of the players, but on the other hand, it is quite fierce.
Seth Curry has said that Coach K is sometimes like a fierce father. He would interrupt the training because he felt that the players were not good enough, drink and make them take off Duke's jerseys, wear Walmart white T-shirts, and probably "You don't deserve Duke's jerseys!" ”
As long as you lose, he will make you unhappy; but as long as you win, "he can move the mountain for you!" ”
As we all know, the 2002 World Championships, the 2004 Olympic Games to the 2006 World Championships, the United States men's basketball team three times without a crown, regaining glory is the 2008 Olympic Games, and then re-dominate FIBA, which is the credit of Coach K; but in fact, the most reflective of coach K's style is the 2010 World Championships. That year he took Turkey to play at the World Championships:
Curry, 22, Durant, 22, Gordon, 22, Loew, 22, Rose, 22, Westbrook, 22. Add to that 26-year-old Iguodala, 27-year-old Granger, the other Chandler Guys — the only veterans will be Chancy and Odom.
To put it bluntly, half a student army.
The old K coach will take this United States to the championship, Durant has since become a FIBA overlord, and the old K coach has used Wei Shao as the Wade of the Olympic Games two years ago, so that Odom can stand in the center position, and let Chandler play more joint defense, which are all wonderful uses. After this U.S. team won the championship, The Westbrook Ross Curry Chandlers went back to the NBA teams and each of them was reborn and grew tremendously.
The idea of the Dream Eight team in 2008: a perimeter single defense monster (Kobe Bryant); a weak side breaker to quickly go down the Devil King (Wade); a positional battle all-out singles king (Kobe); a small forward who often stands in the No. 4 position and walks around the perimeter (LeBron); a flexible stream forward who often stands in the center position (Bosh).
The idea of the 2010 Dream Nine team is: a single defense against the ball on the periphery (Iguodala); several weak side breakers to quickly get down the devil (the whole team collectively snatches and runs); a positional battle all-out singles king (Durant); a small forward who often stands in the No. 4 position and walks around the perimeter (Guy, Durant); a flexible stream forward who often stands in the center position (Odom).
Defensive end, the outside line presses the ball, relies on the flexible inner line to delay the supplement to suppress the periphery, waiting for the opportunity to press the ball. The interior defense relies on quick pack rotations.
On the offensive end, run as fast as possible, forced to position after the battle, rely on flexible and agile lineups to open the line, rely on defender breakthroughs, forward strategy or ace singles.
This style of play can maximize the advantages of the American team: the athletic ability of the cornice to walk the wall, the extremely explosive physique, the ferocious one-on-one ability, the large number of people, and the wheel war to squeeze out the opponent's physical strength.
In fact, more or less, it also pointed out the direction of later basketball.
The U.S. team, which had Kobe LeBrons, win the Olympics in 2008 and 2012 was a piece of cake in comparison.
So let's look at the players he brings out and goes into the NBA:
Hill, Brand, Bouzer, Rolle Dun, Margeti, Redick, Dunllivi, Battier, Tatum, Ingram, Seth, Barrett, Fat Tiger...
He likes the No. 3 position with long hands and long feet to attack and defend solidly, the No. 4 position that is thick and strong, and the sharp and accurate marksman.
The NBA media praised Grant Hill that year, mainly "lightning first step", "triple-double machine", "the closest to Jordan's young man", and the old K coach praised Hill's angle: "He can predict the situation after two passes." ”
Maybe he really doesn't fit into the NBA business scene, and he's not suitable for messing with superstars every day. He has accomplished each other over the years at Duke. College basketball is right for him, he's for college basketball. Occasionally went to the U.S. team to work as a short-term worker to win a few championships. At least he's teaching pure basketball.
Of course, the NBA should also thank him for cultivating these geniuses. Every Duke producer has been scolded by him, but it is also his strict discipline that makes these children talented.
For example, Tatum started playing a mess at the Celtics this season, but persevered and scored invincible after entering 2022.
From April 2021 to the year, he has played 6 regular playoff playoffs and has played 50+.
How can it be so brave?
When Tatum played Virginia at Duke, he only scored 2 points in the first half, did not feel good, and kept passing; so coach K threw his coat at him and roared:
"Tatum you soft egg! You St. Louis kid! I shouldn't have brought you to Duke in the first place!!! I don't want you to beat like a soft egg!" I need you to play like yourself!! ”
Tatum scored 28 points as Duke won.
Now we should know how Tatum's youthful strength to face difficulties has been polished.
Of course. Such an approach is not very suitable for the current NBA. After all, this is a league where coaches have to coax players.
So coach K, who has been at Duke for 41 years, is also very good:
He was a pure basketball coach, and indeed a pure basketball coach all his life.
Seek kindness and perfection.