Mike Krzyzewski clasped the hand of his wife, Mickie, as he left the Superdome court.
As they reached the threshold where the exit of the arena floor ends and the tunnel to the locker room begins, Krzyzewski broke stride. He hugged the Duke freshman as he cried openly. There was a mural painted on the wall that provided the backdrop for the scene and the night for Duke and Krzyzewski: The Road ends here.
The end of Krzyzewski's Hall of Fame career was combined with one of the best Final Four games the sport has ever seen when he retired after Duke's final loss. The Duke-North Carolina game is one of the most compelling showcases in the sport's history.
Krzyzewski's career ended with a frenzied loss in a storied game against his bitter rival. The road ended here, one exit short of ecstasy, with a loud screech of brakes and a blend of emotion.
It's difficult to tell the history that unfolded on Saturday night. Thomas Wolfe could not have come up with a plot line for the UNC-Duke game that would have made sense to fans of both programs. The programs first-ever NCAA tournament game unfolded after 257 meetings and a century of competition.
Along with the stakes, the stage and decades of animosity fostered in this rivalry, the victory also delivered Davis his second indelible win over his rival in the last four weeks. He spoiled Krzyzewski's final game with an uncompromising performance that foretold the cool-hand execution the Tar Heels would hallmark throughout this tournament.
The dramamine-inducing 12 ties, 18 lead changes and Duke's seven-point second-half lead hung in the balance on Saturday night. It was played out in a New Orleans-esque way, as referee whistles couldn't be heard courtside and a relentless throaty din provided the soundtrack. The crowd of 70,602 stood for most of the game.
Krzyzewski appreciated the caliber of game even though he lost.
He said he would be fine. When you are in the arena, you are either going to feel great or you are going to feel bad, but you always will feel great.
I am sure that that is the thing when I will look back and see that I will miss. I will not be in the arena anymore. I was in the arena for a long time. The kids made my last time in the arena an amazing one.
As the game unfolded and leads kept changing, the players exchanged dynamic shot-making -- Brady Manek corner parabolas followed by Paolo Banchero bull charges in the lane and capped by a flourish of Caleb Love scoring six points to seal the game in the final 25 seconds. It was a seminal moment for a sport in need of a jump start when the game exceeded expectations.
Krzyzewski shifted the focus to the players, away from his own story line. He said to an audience of media that he was not thinking about his career right now.
In re-directing the attention of the moment to an attempt to lift his players, Krzyzewski offered a glimpse into his mind. There was a sincere appreciation to compete in moments like this.
He said that if he was alone, he would come out with agony.
As a coach, you can go into that arena with amazing competitors. People want to achieve the highest level. You come out of there in good shape if you can teach them to achieve at that highest level.
The last appearance in the arena included scenes from exits from big stages. The media paid more attention to every step of Krzyzewski than it did to a celebrity.
The locker rooms of Duke and UNC were not in the same place. The juxtaposition of Manek and Davis bounding down the hall arm-in-arm, as if auditioning for a buddy movie, was a stark contrast to the pensive Duke supporters mourning the end of a season and an era.
You can watch every Men's NCAA Tournament game live. March Madness is live.
Jerry Colangelo, the former owner of the Suns and the USA Basketball managing director, cried in the hallway when he talked about the end of his friend's career. It was going to be a double-overtime shot.
It was two good teams. I told him that he didn't have to win anything more. The story has already been written, but I wanted Colangelo to end the interview and walk away. The kaleidoscope of joy, finality, history, appreciation and heartbreak that flowed through the arena on Saturday night was underscored by the takeover of emotion.
It was Colangelo who wanted his friend to go out on top, as Krzyzewski potentially winning his last dance provided the type of red meat story line that would have given Monday night the billing as one of the most anticipated NCAA title games in history. The NCAA final featuring Kanas and North Carolina, both of which bleed different colors of fluorescent blue, will be viewed as a disappointment in terms of ratings and spectacle.
Krzyzewski has had thousands of bats in the arena, considering that his time at Duke stretches back to Jimmy Carter's presidency. His 76 percent winning percentage at Duke has assured him of an etching on the sport's Mount Rushmore.
The UNC win over Duke in the NCAA tournament was a big deal.
Colangelo expressed a twinge of regret late Saturday, but it was a verbalization of the pall cast around the Duke program. Duke had the game's most talented player and was favored by four points, but there was a sense that the golden opportunity had been lost. Duke was the favorite to leave New Orleans with the title, but was outplayed in the final 90 seconds.
Krzyzewski leaves college basketball with five national titles, more than any other coach. There will be some career twilight regret, as Krzyzewski could have delivered title No. 6 in recent years. The talent advantage of the Zion Williamson-led Duke team that lost in the Elite Eight to Michigan State was not the same as that of this Duke team.
The last title game in 2015, and the subsequent one-and-done reloads, mostly kept Duke in the conversation atop the sport, but ultimately failed to deliver the biggest prize.
The Superdome's bowels have dim lights and slate color schemes. He offered a suggestion that doubled as a suggestion for a more aesthetic ending as he hobbled onto a golf cart.
He said, "Maybe you can all."
All Rights Reserved © 2024
