LOS ANGELES—When newly-appointed USA Basketball Managing Director Jerry Colangelo brought in Mike Krzyzewski to lead the national team in 2005, the team was coming off two of its worst performances ever—a sixth-place finish at the 2002 FIBA World Championship and bronze-medal finish and three losses at the 2004 Olympics.
In 2002, no first- or second-team All-NBA players competed in the FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis. In 2004, despite having young stars like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony and veterans like Allen Iverson and Tim Duncan, the U.S. fell in the Olympic semifinals in Athens to Manu Ginobili and Argentina.
Twelve years later, Team USA’s culture and personnel have both changed.
During Krzyzewski’s tenure, virtually every American superstar has played for him, including James, Wade, Anthony, Kevin Durant and two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry. Anthony is making history this summer as the first player to compete in four Olympics as Krzyzewski aims to become the first coach to win three Olympic gold medals.
After winning bronze again at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, Krzyzewski and Team USA have gone unbeaten in major tournaments, winning the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and the 2010 FIBA World Championship and 2014 FIBA World Cup. The 69-year old is aiming to cap off his run with a gold medal in Rio de Janeiro in the coming weeks before turning things over to San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.
"I knew he was good [before 2005,] I just didn’t know how good in every aspect on and off the floor,” Colangelo said of Krzyzewski before Team USA's exhibition game against China July 24 at the Staples Center.
As is usually the case, Krzyzewski said he would rather focus on his newest team's journey rather than the past or future.
“I’m not in a reflective mood,” Krzyzewski said after the July 24 exhibition.
Staying in the moment is something Krzyzewski preaches to his Duke teams, and the NBA's best are not immune from hearing the lesson. Even earlier in Team USA's exhibition series leading up to the Olympics, the five-time national champion got on his players for having too much fun and attempting highlight-reel dunks near the end of another exhibition against China.
But Krzyzewski's ability to convey his message clearly is also one of the reasons the best players keep coming back to play for him.
“He’s just a great communicator. I think that’s one of the best qualities that you can have in a head coach is a communicator, and his ability just to reach everyone—that’s second to none,” said Indiana Pacers star Paul George after the July 24 exhibition. “You won’t find a coach like that that can do that, especially at this level with a bunch of All-Stars and superstars on the team.”
READ: Paul George builds strong relationship with Mike Krzyzewski
A West Point graduate and former Army head coach, Krzyzewski has tried to show his Team USA players what it means to represent the country, holding national team practices at his alma mater, taking the team to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington and bringing in wounded warriors to speak at team practices during the past 11 years.
Krzyzewski has said in past interviews that he tries to let the national team players teach him as well, letting the players determine their own standards at the start of the summer. His flexibility in tailoring an offense to a team's personnel has also shown with the world's most talented players.
“He could very well be one of the top coaches in our league, but he found his niche, and that’s being the best, if not one of the best college coaches,” George said.
A 38-year run as an assistant and head coach for Team USA will come to an end after the Rio Olympics. But Krzyzewski might still be around the national team in another capacity. Colangelo reportedly wants the Duke head coach to take over his position as managing director in 2020.
“Although his time as coach will expire in Rio, my plan is to keep him very involved with USA Basketball going forward alongside me,” Colangelo said.
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