With a career that lasted an incredible 42 years, Coach K, a legendary figure in collegiate basketball, forever changed the game. His coaching abilities were nothing short of amazing, as seen by his astounding record of having the most victories in NCAA Division I men’s basketball as well as his five national championships and incredible 13 Final Four trips. However, Coach K’s influence went far beyond the college basketball court.

Coach K took the reign of the men’s national basketball team of the United States and led them to Olympic and world championship victories. He even had the opportunity to mold one of NBA’s finest, LeBron James. However, under his tutelage, Coach K once fired up LeBron James to the verge of cursing, making it one of the craziest things he ever did.

Coach K begins his Team USA journey

By the early 2000s, legendary basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, or Coach K, had already had remarkable success at Duke University at the collegiate level. He had won three NCAA championships, but now he had to guide Team USA back to Olympic supremacy while leading some of the NBA’s best talents, such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, to success.

At Duke, Krzyzewski’s coaching style was renowned for its rigor. He was a West Point alumnus who wasn’t afraid to verbally challenge his athletes. After consecutive ACC road losses, he once launched a ferocious rant in the Duke Blue Devils‘ locker room at 4 a.m. after a late-night ride from Virginia Tech. “You motherf—–s don’t deserve to wear the Duke jersey,” he screamed and then proceeded to kick them out. Brutal.

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Coach K’s career took an important turn in 2005, when Krzyzewski was chosen to lead the national team through the 2008 Olympics. He then began a mission to reestablish USA basketball’s dominance on the world stage.

During the 2006 FIBA World Championship, Krzyzewski wrote one of his most enduring chapters. The team lost to Greece in the semifinals after suffering a setback. However, they defeated Argentina, the reigning Olympic gold medalists, to win the bronze medal.

Dean Smith of North Carolina, Krzyzewski’s former opponent, had recommended Coach K as the only college coach capable of bringing Team USA back to glory. But several skeptics questioned his ability to lead Team USA to victory over an NCAA coach with 3x NBA champions (Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins) under his leadership.

Which NBA Star Had the Best Career Under Coach K’s Leadership?

Then in 2008, Coach K bought a ‘rule’ to the table, firing up LeBron James to the verge of cursing, making it one of the craziest things he ever did.

The Birth of the Redeem Team

After taking charge of Team USA in 2008, Coach K realized that his typical motivational strategies might not be effective with the NBA’s best players competing in the Olympics. This was a very different situation. According to the Athletic, he walked into the locker room and got all his players together. Unlike the typical list of rules handed down by coaches, Coach K took a refreshing approach with his new team, a group of NBA stars.

Instead of setting down the rules by himself, he asked the players to lay down a few. He opened the floor, holding up a whiteboard and saying, “OK, who’s got a rule?”

One of the players of the team, Jason Kidd stated, “I think it should be defense first.” Coach K Mike asked, “Does everybody agree? Let’s agree on what the rules are. So, everybody agree? OK, defense first.” And then he asked somebody else.

Looking at LeBron, he said, “LeBron, you’re not saying anything. Don’t you have a rule?” The King himself arose to the challenge, his voice full of resolve. He exclaimed, “I say, no F-ing excuses!” Coach K looked at everybody and asked, “Everybody agree with that?” They did.

Knowing he had hit the jackpot with these guidelines, Coach K beamed with pride. With a flourish, he turned the whiteboard over and scrawled in big, obvious letters: “NO F-ING EXCUSES.” And that’s how the Redeem Team was born.

The American men’s national basketball team won the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, marking American basketball’s comeback on the global scene. The ‘Redeem Team’ earned their spot in the Olympics by winning the 2007 FIBA American Championship in Las Vegas. This was the beginning of the team’s quest to Olympic success. The team was appropriately named as a tribute to the storied 1992 group known as the Dream Team.

The United States and Spain competed in a high-stakes final at the crucial moment in Beijing. The USA triumphed, defeating Spain 118-107 to win the coveted gold medal. Dwyane Wade took charge emerging as the team’s leading scorer with 16 points per game on average. Furthermore, the team had eleven NBA All-Stars on its roster with an NBA MVP. However, they couldn’t have done it without the Hall of Famer, Coach K.

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What are your thoughts on Coach K’s approach to the Redeem Team? Let us know in the comments below!