Durham, North Carolina. Nearly 100 former players, including Duke legends Grant Hill, Jason Williams, Shane Battier and Christian Lettner, lined the court at the Cameron Indoor Stadium for one last salute to coach Mike Krzyzewski on Saturday as the Blue Devils ended their regular game. . season β and the legendary coach’s home court career β against an opponent from North Carolina.
Cameron Indore could have laid out the official red carpet for the occasion.
While the game itself didn’t generate much intrigue in the standings – Duke had already won his first solo ACC regular season title since 2006 – demand for tickets to see Krzyzewski coach his last home game was astronomical, with average prices about 6000 dollars. on stubhub.
π π―π¬π±π₯π’π―π₯π¬π¬π‘ rolling DEEP today for the Goat!!!!!
ππππππππππππ #CoachK pic.twitter.com/5MFT2sz3tc
β Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 5, 2022
In addition to the 96 former players who came to see Krzhizhevsky off, there were also many sports and Hollywood stars in the stands.
Fans roared as comedian Jerry Seinfeld and NBA commissioner Adam Silver, seated next to each other, waved their hands at the video board. Sitcom stars Ken Jeong and Retta sat on the court along the baseline. Also in attendance were Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse, former Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki, and Hall of Famer wide receiver Terrell Owens.
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But the moment was eclipsed not by celebrities, but by the crowd – a crowded hall more than an hour before the start of the performance, seething with energy – and a large family of Dukes, who eclipsed Krzhizhevsky.
The former players formed a tunnel leading from one corner of the baseline to the middle of the court, and when Krzyzewski was announced, the crowd erupted. The 75-year-old, who coached his first game here in November 1980, worked his way through the phalanx of former players, slapping each on the chest, punching or hugging. Many held cell phones in the air, recording the moment for posterity.
After Krzhizhevsky reached the end of the line, the group gathered in the center of the courtyard to take pictures for the family reunion.