Happy endings aren’t rare, but Hollywood endings are.
Mike Krzyzewski and Duke entered this year’s Final Four seeking the ultimate end to a legendary career — a National Championship. They were a No. 2 seed. They had a few probable/potential NBA lottery players. They loved their coach and wanted to give him the ultimate parting gift.
It seemed like Duke and Krzyzewski would pull it off for a little while. North Carolina had other plans. In a back-and-forth, all-time classic game for the ages, Carolina (as a four and a half-point pregame underdog no less) beat Duke, 81-77. The Tar Heels and Caleb Love beat, of all people on this vast planet, Krzyzewski, in what would be his last game.
Come on. You’d be laughed out of any decent movie studio’s office if you pitched that script.
Alas, it was not to be the storybook ending for Krzyzewski. He walks away from the court, for good, a little early.
If I wasn’t sure, Krzyzewski almost seemed to be ready with reflective thoughts in the post-game. In what had to be an emotional and raw moment, he talked to TBS’s Tracy Wolfson about his feelings:
"It's an emotional win, and it's an emotional loss."
Coach K reflects on his final Duke game at the #MFinalFour pic.twitter.com/mnlgIUFZLs
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 3, 2022
Here’s that exchange between Wolfson and Krzyzewski laid out, particularly when she asks about his immediate post-career emotions:
WOLFSON: “Coach, as you walked off the court for the final time, can you describe the emotions that you were feeling?”
KRZYZEWSKI: “Just for my players. I’ll deal with me later. You know, for me my entire time coaching, I always wanted at the end of the year, whatever the last game is you’re either crying for joy or you’re crying for sorrow. And if you are that means you put everything into it. I have a bunch of kids who are crying. I’m proud of them. They’ve been a joy to coach.
In his final reporter-coach TV moment as Duke’s leader, Krzyzewski defers away from his story with a quick “I’ll deal with me later.” Instead, he discusses his players and his tremendous pride in them—a coach to the very end of a legendary 42-year run.
Wow. I can’t believe we watched Mike Krzyzewski put a bow on his career and coach for the last time. We might have expected this result in a way, and maybe this would have happened on Monday either way, but seeing that become reality felt bizarre.
Mike Krzyzewski says goodbye as Duke head coach. Okay, nothing feels right about that.
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