{"id":425843,"date":"2022-04-03T12:07:31","date_gmt":"2022-04-03T09:07:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/epic-ending-for-mike-krzyzewski-the-man-in-the-arena\/"},"modified":"2022-04-03T12:07:31","modified_gmt":"2022-04-03T09:07:31","slug":"epic-ending-for-mike-krzyzewski-the-man-in-the-arena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/epic-ending-for-mike-krzyzewski-the-man-in-the-arena\/","title":{"rendered":"#Epic ending for Mike Krzyzewski, the man in the arena"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a381c9d4d1e3\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a381c9d4d1e3\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/epic-ending-for-mike-krzyzewski-the-man-in-the-arena\/#%E2%80%9CEpic_ending_for_Mike_Krzyzewski_the_man_in_the_arena%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Epic ending for Mike Krzyzewski, the man in the arena&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CEpic_ending_for_Mike_Krzyzewski_the_man_in_the_arena%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Epic ending for Mike Krzyzewski, the man in the arena&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<div class=\"inline-module inline-module--columnist inline-module--author\">\n<div class=\"inline-module--author__img\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"76\" height=\"69\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/03\/Ian-OConnor.png?w=76&amp;h=69&amp;crop=1\" class=\"attachment-nyp_columnist size-nyp_columnist\" alt=\"Ian O'Connor\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/03\/Ian-OConnor.png 152w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/03\/Ian-OConnor.png?w=114 114w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/03\/Ian-OConnor.png?w=76 76w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/03\/Ian-OConnor.png?w=38 38w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 76px) 100vw, 76px\"\/>        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>NEW ORLEANS \u2014 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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe you can superimpose a sunset,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>And off he went down a Superdome tunnel with a smile on his face, and with a smile on Mickie\u2019s, after North Carolina shut down his bid for a sixth national title just as it had shut down his bid for a proper farewell in his last home <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> at Duke. Krzyzewski saw his players cry in the locker room Saturday night and actually called it \u201ca beautiful sight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Beautiful because those tears proved how much his kids cared, and how hard they had competed.<\/p>\n<p>These impossibly young Blue Devils gave him a precious going-away gift. They came together in the nick of time, delivered those remarkable five endgame minutes against Michigan State in their second NCAA Tournament game, and sent Coach K on this wild ride. He was never going to break John Wooden\u2019s record of 10 national titles, of course, but these kids pushed him past Wooden with that 13th <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> to the Final Four, and Krzyzewski could never fully repay them for that.<\/p>\n<p>When it was over and this 81-77 North Carolina victory was frozen in forever\u2019s lights, I asked the 75-year-old grandfather of 10 if that Michigan State rally that started it all would be his enduring tournament memory after the pain subsides. Eventually he started talking like old warriors talk.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"746\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Mike-Krzyzewski-4.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Mike Krzyzewski leaves a news conference with his wife Mickie after Duke's 81-77 Final Four loss to North Carolina. \u201cMaybe you can superimpose a sunset,\u201d Coach K jokingly said to reporters.\" class=\"wp-image-21760583\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Mike-Krzyzewski-4.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Mike-Krzyzewski-4.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Mike-Krzyzewski-4.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Mike-Krzyzewski-4.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Mike Krzyzewski leaves a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> conference with his wife Mickie after Duke\u2019s 81-77 Final Four loss to North Carolina. \u201cMaybe you can superimpose a sunset,\u201d Coach K jokingly said to reporters.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been blessed to be in the arena,\u201d Krzyzewski said. \u201cAnd when you\u2019re in the arena, you\u2019re either going to come out feeling great or you\u2019re going to feel agony. But you always will feel great about being in the arena. And I\u2019m sure that\u2019s the thing when I\u2019ll look back that I\u2019ll miss. \u2026 But damn, I was in the arena for a long time. And these kids made my last time in the arena an amazing one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Amen to that.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>Krzyzewski watched Duke\u2019s final futile possession from his chair on the elevated court, with his arms crossed against his chest. As the last seconds bled from the clock, he rose and walked solemnly toward the Carolina bench to congratulate the winners, who greeted him graciously. Hubert Davis\u2019s Tar Heels did manage to party on the court like it was New Year\u2019s Eve. Man, did they ever earn the right.<\/p>\n<p>And yes, this was a fitting final act for Coach K, given that he\u2019d 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.<br \/>Coach K rejected the handshake. \u201cThe damn game isn\u2019t over yet, Dean,\u201d he barked. On the Carolina bench, assistant Roy Williams initially thought an ACC rookie shouldn\u2019t treat a legend like that before he pivoted on further review. \u201cThis is a competitive guy,\u201d Williams said of Krzyzewski back then. \u201cHe has the right to his own standards. And he was right, the game wasn\u2019t over.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>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 (1975) 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.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Mike-Krzyzewski-6.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Mike Krzyzewski \" class=\"wp-image-21760609\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Mike-Krzyzewski-6.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Mike-Krzyzewski-6.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Mike-Krzyzewski-6.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Mike-Krzyzewski-6.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Mike Krzyzewski <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Now the Blue Devils have to deal with those consequences of losing one of the biggest games in the sport\u2019s history to their neighbors. Frankly, Krzyzewski and his legacy will be just fine. His five national titles equal the combined total won by Roy Williams (3) and Smith (2). He also retires with a personal winning record against the Tar Heels at 50-48, and with a victory total of 1,202 \u2014 including 101 in the NCAA Tournament \u2014 that no man will ever match.<\/p>\n<p>But he won\u2019t be returning to the arena, and that will hurt more than anything. Krzyzewski ran his first basketball program at age 12, when his Chicago elementary school, St. Helen, refused to give him the team he wanted to enter in a CYO league. Young Mike instead organized a team that took on all comers in other neighborhoods. \u201cNo parents involved,\u201d he said. His winning percentage was better than most.<\/p>\n<p>Sixty-three years later, it\u2019s all over. No more pep talks to give. No more plays to call. No more games to win.<\/p>\n<p>No more teams to lead.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The greatest to ever do it, Krzyzewski sure adored his last group of players. \u201cThey\u2019ve been a joy for me to coach,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Late Saturday night, Coach K knew when it was time to say goodbye. He loaded himself onto that golf cart, and slowly dis<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>eared down a tunnel. All good West Point men know how it goes.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/04\/03\/an-epic-ending-for-mike-krzyzewski-the-man-in-the-arena\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Epic ending for Mike Krzyzewski, the man in the arena&#8221; NEW ORLEANS \u2014 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&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":425844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Mike-Krzyzewski-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[127517,88360,126252,88361,75265],"class_list":["post-425843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-4-3-22","tag-duke-blue-devils","tag-march-madness-2022","tag-mike-krzyzewski","tag-north-carolina-tar-heels"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=425843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425843\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/425844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=425843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=425843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=425843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}