HIGH PRAISE FROM MELO
Since the Olympic team's journey culminated in Gold, Coach K and his staff have received nice recognition
for their work in transforming 12 NBA All-Stars into a selfless, passionate, hard-working team. What has
not received as much attention is the impact that the coaching staff had on each player individually. Because
Coach K was able to lead a true U.S. National Team program for over three years (as opposed to just rolling
the balls out a few weeks before the Olympics), he was able to build strong and meaningful relationships with
each player and have an impact on their individual games. In a recent Yahoo! Sports article, Carmelo Antho-
ny offered some great praise for Coach K and his USA staff...
“You look at everybody that
was on that [Olympic] team,
from LeBron to D-Wade to
Kobe, and especially Chris
Bosh and myself, I think
everybody’s game has
elevated. Chris, knowing
UTLER
what he can do out there,
THANIEL B
without even getting the
basketball, and still being as
NBAE/NA
effective, I think has helped
him out a lot.”
Carmelo Anthony
VAN GUNDY, ESPN NBA TV CREW VISIT CAMERON
ESPN sent their normal NBA TV crew of Van Gundy, Mike to see Cameron. And I’ve wanted to see the passion
Tirico and Mark Jackson to Duke to call our game vs. Da- of the students. When I started watching games to get
vidson, while Dick Vitale and Dan Shulman called the action know the players a little better, you’ve been in the NBA
at the Miami Heat-Denver Nuggets NBA game. Van Gundy so long, you forget the every-possession passion that the
was a head coach in the NBA for 11 seasons with New York great college team plays with. When I was watching the
and Houston before heading to the ESPN broadcast booth.
Virginia Tech game the other night, the passion of both
teams, the passion, the crowd, the coaching staff getting
You coached Shane Battier for a year in Houston. What
after those guys in that one timeout -- It gives you chills.
do you remember about coaching him?
That competitive spirit isn’t everywhere so when you
JVG: He is the best competitor I have ever coached. He
see it come out, you see great players who also have a
had the ability to concentrate on every play. He never
competitive will, it is great.
played the score, he just played the game. He gave of
himself on both ends of the floor. I couldn’t think higher
What are your thoughts on the Olympic team and how
of any player I’ve ever coached.
those NBA players responded to Coach K?
JVG: To me, we had by far the best talent but coaching
Having been around the NBA for a long time, have you
great talent, which he has done here, isn’t as easy as
noticed any similarities among the Duke guys in the
people think. I thought he reacted very well to the
league?
loss in the 2006 World Championships. They made the
JVG: We played Boozer a lot, because we played them in
necessary defensive and roster adjustments. In the
the playoffs and obviously four times a year. The knack
limited amount of time that he had to work with them, I
to make winning plays I think is characteristic of those
think he gave them great leadership. If I think of him as
guys, whatever that entails. Having coached Shane, he
a coach, you can go through the X’s and O’s and those are
just made winning plays.
tremendous, but I think he is a great, great leader and
a strong leader. That is why guys like Kobe Bryant and
What was your initial reaction when you heard ESPN
LeBron James gave of themselves and invested so much
was going to send you guys to this game?
in the process -- They had the ultimate respect for Coach
JVG: Well, I have never been here on the campus. I have
Krzyzewski.
always wanted to see the campus, I have always wanted
January 2009 47
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