Best advice from Coach K? Coach K gave me a lot of advice and still gives me advice. The best advice Coach gave me was to be myself. He told me to bring out the good qualities inside of me. He felt that I should come out of my shell and let people know my personality. He taught me to be more vocal and more passionate. When Coach named me tri-captain my senior year, he gave me responsibility. He gave me a chance to be a leader. Before the 1994 season, Coach invited me to his house and told me that my leadership was the key to our team being successful. I didn’t have the chance before that to lead because we had great leaders like Bobby, Christian and Brian in the years before. We also had the best player in the country on our team, Grant Hill. Coach told me to believe in myself. He saw something in me that I didn’t. I didn’t want to let him or my team down. That year, we were one possession away from winning our third championship in four years. Those experiences helped me to become successful in my career.
Favorite in-game memory at Duke? My favorite game memory was “The Shot.” We all know what “The Shot” was -- the shot Christian made against Kentucky was one of the most clutch plays ever. I was under the basket when the shot went in. All I could do was fall. My second favorite moment was winning back-to-back championships in 1992. Beating Michigan made the victory even sweeter. We know why it was sweet, but we won’t go there. LOL!
Was there something in particular at Duke that has helped you during your career
playing and coaching professionally in Japan? Duke is a melting pot of different cultures. While at Duke I met different people from different countries with different customs, and I learned to respect different ways of thinking. That prepared me for my experience in Japan.
How have your Duke experience and time with Coach K impacted the teams and
players you have coached since entering the coaching ranks? Coach K taught me the importance of communication and teamwork. He taught us that with communication and teamwork you can build a strong defensive team. He taught me that defense is the key to winning championships. Coach K continues to teach me by giving me advice and helping me with things such as preparation, practice and game situations. I continue to confide in Coach and ask for advice.
Your first season as a head coach was cut short this year due to the earthquake. We
were glad to hear you are okay... I’ve experienced numerous earthquakes while living in Japan, but nothing like this last one. Fortunately we were 400 miles away from the epicenter. Although we were that far away, we still felt the earthquake. The city of Nagoya -- where I live -- had a 6.0 quake that shook for three minutes. By the grace of God my family and I were safe. Hopefully the country will continue to recover.
When you’re back in your hometown of Mobile, AL after the basketball season ends in Japan, what do you do to relax?
Any special summer plans? When I return home from Japan, I spend as much time as possible with my family -- my beautiful wife Lekeshia, and my sons T.J. (15) and Alan (11). The majority of our time is spent in baseball parks or basketball gyms and that is very important to me. We also run various camps and charity events as a family for those in need.
Tony skies for a rebound in the 1994 national title game
THE TONY LANG FILE
*Duke player from 1991-1994 *Was valedictorian at LeFlore HS in Alabama *Won two national championships (1991, 1992) *Played in three national title games *Averaged 12.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG as a senior in 1994 *Team captain in 1994 with G. Hill and M. Clark *Scored 1,012 points, started 87 games at Duke *29th pick of 1994 NBA Draft *Played in the NBA for six seasons *Pro player in USA, the Philippines and Japan *Has learned Japanese while living in Japan *Head coach of Mitsubishi in the JBL
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