An epic ending for Mike Krzyzewski, the man in the arena
NEW ORLEANS — Mike Krzyzewski took his seat in the back of a golf cart next to his bride of 53 years, Mickie, the flight attendant he married the day he graduated from West Point. He faced some reporters who were documenting the moment, and decided to have some fun with the bitter end of his incomparable career.
And yes, this was a fitting final act for Coach K, given that he’d effectively started his Duke career by picking a fight against North Carolina. In his third game as Blue Devils coach, with a Tar Heels victory secured, Dean Smith made the mistake of walking toward the Duke bench for a handshake while two meaningless free throws still needed to be shot.
All the games are over now for Coach K, his 42-year run at Duke closed down for good in the Superdome, which opened the same year that Krzyzewski started his career at Army. At times Saturday night Coach K jumped out of his chair and pumped his fists and exhorted his team with a fury, to no avail. Mark Williams missed two crucial free throws late, followed by a Caleb Love 3-pointer that was the dagger. In a rivalry defined by hate, Love was the difference, finishing with 28 points.
Sixty-three years later, it’s all over. No more pep talks to give. No more plays to call. No more games to win.His career started seven months after the fall of Saigon in 1975, and ended five weeks after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It started in an old, dusty fieldhouse near the river at West Point and ended in the Superdome in New Orleans. What an incredible journey it was.
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