The massive headline across the top of the Los Angeles Times sports section read “Lakers Shift Their Focus.”
The Lakers had just swung for the fences and whiffed in their bid to pry away college basketball’s most accomplished coach.
That was July 2004, when Mike Krzyzewski turned down the chance to replace the resigning Phil Jackson, explaining “you have to follow your heart and lead with it and Duke has always taken up my whole heart." He went on to win two more national titles with the Blue Devils while satisfying his curiosity whether he could coach NBA players by leading USA Basketball to three straight Olympic golds.