Mike Krzyzewski Play Quotations

I think coaching is confused at times as being an arrow that only goes to a player. Those players send arrows back to you, and that's where a relationship is developed. I don't make a player, and a player doesn't make me a coach. We make each other.

Therefore, as a player, as a coach, even though we might have lost in a season or not won a championship, it was like a self-fulfilling prophecy that I'm going to win some time. I've never felt myself a loser.

Why do you play a game? I play a game to see how good we can be.

...you can't play any defense if the other team is on the foul line.

Playing sport was somewhat frivolous, but I liked it. I rebelled a little bit, and wouldn't go to music lessons and things like that, but I would go and play ball. My parents learned to love it because they saw how much I got out of it.

Players' attention spans get less and less as they progress.

Throughout the season, I look into my players eyes to gauge feelings, confidence levels, and to establish instant trust.

That's why basketball was so good, because I didn't really need you or anyone else to play it. It would be better if we played four-on-four or five-on-five, but I could go out there alone.

I didn't think Sean was going to be able to play. We were a little bit worried it might be real serious, but it wasn't. He played hurt, yet you wouldn't know it. I'm proud of him.

I think the people who are involved in this program should embrace it, ... When you look up at the scoreboard, it will say the United States. It will never say an individual name. I can promise you we will put together a team that will serve as an example to the rest of the world of the way the game should be played and the way you conduct yourself.

Lee was aggressive, not just with his shot, but that's the best defense he's played for a while. He was there.

In the second half, once we got organized and played better in the half court, our defense was excellent.

Giving back what the game has given you, that's one of the things I want to permeate through the program for the next three years and serve as a basis for the team, ... I hope the players look at it that way, too. You forget how lucky you are to be in a specific situation sometimes. We need to get that feeling going again.

They're both great scorers. I think some collegiate players going into this type of situation would be a little bit intimidated. I don't think either one of these guys will. They more define the specialist role.

For a college basketball player or coach, to reach the Final Four is la-la land. You've achieved, you've got your stamp of approval. My first team to do that was in 1986. Then we did it in '88, '89 and '90.

Footwork is one of the primary prerequisites to becoming a great player

A leader may be the most knowledgeable person in the world, but if the players on his team cannot translate that knowledge into action, it means nothing.

Our goal is not to win. It's to play together and play hard. Then, winning takes care of itself.

Champions play as they practice. Create a consistency of excellence in all your habits.

I'm looking for players who make their teammates better. You do that with enthusiasm and passion.

I just felt it (Friday) at practice, that we were finally in the NCAA Tournament. Southern did us a favor by playing so well. We needed to get on to the next thing.