After retiring from his longtime position as the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team following the conclusion of last season, the legendary Mike Krzyzewski made it clear that he did not plan to attend any of the team’s basketball games in Cameron Indoor Arena this season because he did not want to be a distraction. Well, it appears he changed his mind – to strong results.
Mike Krzyzewski decided to attend Tuesday night’s game between Duke and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, marking his first time at a Blue Devils basketball game since retiring last spring.
The Krzyzewskis are back in Cameron Indoor 🙌
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/PzlIDM84wX
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) February 15, 2023
Duke played well with him in attendance, winning the game by a score of 68-64 and snapping a two-game losing streak in the process. While Krzyzewski might not have wanted to be a distraction this year, it’s clear that his return was very much welcomed by the Duke community.
“For him to be here tonight, you know it’s special for me,” Scheyer said after the game, according to Fox News. “I’ve been in so many battles and games here with him. With him right next to me. I don’t know how he felt sitting over there instead of on the bench. But it just means a lot. His support. He’s been incredible throughout this whole year, throughout this whole process. I just wanted to make sure we got the win while he was here.”
We’ll have to see if he will attend more Duke games in the future – especially if his appearances lead to wins.
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