"They're crazy": Mike 'Coach K' Krzyzewski address LeBron James' critics with blunt message

LeBron James and Mike Krzyzewski, also famously known as ‘Coach K,’ have established a good relationship since the 2008 Olympics. After getting to know and coaching James closely, Krzyzewski was one of the early coaches who saw his potential to become arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. The former Duke Blue Devils coach recently defended him against critics with a blunt response.

In a conversation with Colin Cowherd, Krzyzewski reflected on his time coaching James. He said that he still can’t imagine why some people criticize him. Krzyzewski also said that the four-time NBA champion’s impact on the 2008 Olympic team reached far beyond how he played the game on the court.

“He [LeBron James] and Kobe [Bryant], I thought were just above everyone in preparation, physical, mental, you name it. When they were on the court at a practice or in a game, they wanted to be the best, all the time, all the time and they paid the price for it. For anyone who knocks LeBron in any way, they’re crazy," Krzyzewski told Cowherd on “The Herd”.

"We’re not going to see anybody like him, he’s one of a kind. Just what he’s doing in the Olympics, his verve, his demeanor, his attitude, he helps his team by how he looks, not just how he plays."

Considered one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history, Coach K revealed that he saw James’ greatness when he started coaching him. He added that it is not just his athleticism and intelligence that makes him great, but also his preparation to win and overall demeanor.

You’re a little bit shocked at the athleticism and just an amazing athlete that’s there. And then you add intelligence, then you add a command voice, then you add leadership and then you add something that a lot of people don’t have and that’s the will to prepare to win.”

“I want to play with a guy who looks like him because there’s hardly anybody who looks like that. I mean, facially, not just body-wise. The face of a champion, this guy has that face of a champion,” Krzyzewski said.

LeBron James and Team USA swept Group C at the Paris Olympics after winning against Puerto Rico, 104-83. He scored 10 points and dished out 8 assists.

LeBron James calls Coach K the greatest of all time

Only a few coaches have been able to leave a lasting impact on LeBron James, and one of them is Mike Krzyzewski.

Before Krzyzewski's last game as Duke coach in November 2022, the NBA's all-time leading scorer showered him with praise. James shared that he is one of his favorite coaches, and called him the 'GOAT.'

"Coach K is one of my favorite coaches, if not my favorite. I had an opportunity to play for him multiple times, and his ability to connect with players from all different shapes and sizes and age groups, it’s unbelievable. You understand, and you know why he’s the leader and the ‘G.O.A.T’ that he is. I think he’s the greatest of all time," James said.

James has won two Olympic gold medals in his career — in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London, with Mike Krzyzewski as his coach on both occasions.