Another NBA team may be trying to pry Mike Krzyzewski from Duke.
No, this isn’t a rumor from 2004. Or 1994.
According to BasketballInsiders.com’s Steve Kyler, the Los Angeles Lakers reached out to Coach K, among a few other collegiate head honchos, about coming to Hollywood:
The Lakers plan to be extremely thorough in their search. They have reached out to the likes of UConn head coach Kevin Ollie, who is expected to interview, mainly out of curiosity and respect. The Lakers are linked to North Carolina’s Roy Williams, although he is not expected to leave UNC.
League sources said the Lakers made their usual run at Duke Head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is not leaving Duke. During the National Championship game, the Lakers interest in Kentucky coach John Calipari was leaked. Coach Cal immediately shot down the idea, although several people involved have said had Coach Cal wanted the job it would have been his.
Coach K isn’t going to leave Duke. That’s been clear for decades. But that hasn’t stopped NBA teams from trying to bilk Duke of his presence in the past.
USA Today‘s Scott Gleeson recounted some of the previous offers the storied college coach has received in recent years:
In 1994, the Portland Trail Blazers made him an offer. In 2004, the Los Angeles Lakers interviewed Krzyzewski for its coaching vacancy to replace Phil Jackson. And in 2010 and 2011, the then-New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves were after him. For a guy who loves teaching the game and has the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium named after him, it’s tough to imagine a jump to the NBA. But of any college basketball coach in recent memory, Coach K might be the best fit in the NBA.
The prospect of Coach K teaming up with Kobe Bryant outside Olympics basketball is no doubt intriguing. But if he didn’t leave Duke for Los Angeles in 2004, he’s not going to journey West now.
Although the Lakers are still the Lakers, they aren’t really the Lakers. Does that make sense? Of course not. It’s true nonetheless.
This isn’t the same dynastic team coaches would have originally pounced on years go. Bryant is on his way out, the Lakers are trying to stage an accelerated rebuild, they could be headed for another lottery-bound season next year and there’s no guarantee they strike gold in free agency this summer or next. That’s a lot of pressure. And hardly ideal.
None of which suggests the Lakers cannot find a big-name coach. Lionel Hollins, Mark Jackson and either of the Van Gundy brothers would likely be interested. This just isn’t a team that will pry a great sideline meanderer out of a great situation anymore. That holds true for Coach K, it holds true for John Calipari, it holds true for Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau.
The Lakers will, like many other teams, be forced to choose from available ranks. If they are able to steal Kevin Ollie from UConn, that, in itself, would be a small miracle.
Convincing Coach K to abandon Duke would be something else entirely, a supernatural occurrence, the byproduct of some serious, dark, evil thaumaturgy making the impossible actually, well, possible.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
