Despite the loss to UNC in his final home game, Mike Krzyzewski gave praise to Duke. There is a time and a place.
Mike Krzyzewski didn't want it to end like this, but after Duke's 94-81 loss to North Carolina in his final home game, he seemed to be glad it was done.
It is hard for me to believe this is over, Krzyzewski told the crowd who would come to say goodbye.
He was thankful that Saturday was the end of his farewell tour, because this season has been long.
In June of last year, Krzyzewski decided to retire so that he could focus on coaching one last time, and not worry about the future. The plan was never going to work. The basketball world was not just going to watch Krzyzewski, the winningest coach ever, ride off into the sunset. His career ended in a requiem.
The lead story at each stop was Krzyzewski. There were honors at some stops. Emotional reunions at others. There was no fanfare at North Carolina just a month ago, only rival fans throwing their rage onto the enemy one final time. In all but four of the basketball games they played, Duke won.
Then came Saturday.
The Blue Devil had been looking at this for a while. It was a rivalry game, of course, but they had already beaten North Carolina in Chapel Hill, a statement win in a season in which Duke has also beaten Kentucky. The game did not matter in the table. The Blue Devil had already won the regular-season title. Saturday was about this team writing its own chapter in Krzyzewski's legacy, sending its coach off the right way. That did not happen.
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Paolo Banchero said he would be lying if he said he didn't know about the date. It is more than a regular game. It was important. It's a pity we lost.
Krzyzewski didn't seem to mind a lot.
Krzyzewski said he was glad this was over, and let's see what happens in the tournaments. It has been a strange few days.
In his final home game as Duke's coach, Mike Krzyzewski received a huge applause from his former players as well as the fans.
The ride has been a mix of documentary, circus, and basketball. The fans in attendance refused to accept an apology from Krzyzewski before the postgame ceremonies began. They were not here to see Duke win against North Carolina. Results be damned, they were here for Krzyzewski.
For a coach like Krzyzewski, this is a new place. Winning is the top job. It has felt off-kilter this season. Winning was only in the context of what it meant for the larger narrative. The climax of the story was set in motion back in June.
His coach wanted to find meaning in the loss. It was a learning experience. It was motivation. It was a relief.
The ending Duke had been waiting for was what it really was.
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New beginnings seemed to be what mattered most to Krzyzewski on Saturday. For his team as well.
The story of his retirement will continue, but it won't be the center stage. The camera will pan away from the coach at least for a while, and focus on the team that Krzyzewski believes is good enough to win it all.
The worst moments of Duke's season have all come in front of the home fans, who have turned out each game to pay respects.
Mike Krzyzewski talked about his final home game at Duke.
There are no home games anymore.
We won't be playing the NCAA tournament here, but we are looking forward to going on the road and making up for it.
It is a chance to turn the page and look at the future rather than the past, as it is not an opportunity for redemption.
One of the most dynamic big men in the country is Banchero. The veteran leader of the offense is Wendell Moore Jr. Mark Williams, Jeremy Roach, and others seem to fit their roles exactly as they should, as if this was the real story Krzyzewski wanted to tell this season. After a year of games that were about more than just the final score, it is the team that is the center stage.
That is the end Krzyzewski wanted.
He wanted this year to be a really good coaching job, not a retirement year, and to stay hungry. Until this is done.
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