Mike Krzyzewski says Duke didn't recruit Michael Jordan despite evidence to the contrary
Memories are funny things. We commonly misremember conversations and events we think we know well with no malice intended.
Something of that nature may have occurred involving one of basketball's most famous coaches.
On Thursday, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski appeared on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" radio program. As documented by the Funhouse Twitter account, among the topics discussed by Coach K and Cowherd was the pre-collegiate career of Michael Jordan.
"You know, we didn't recruit him," Krzyzewski said of Jordan. "Buzz Peterson was the state player of the year that year in North Carolina.
"… We never recruited him because he committed to North Carolina. I got a chance to see him when he was beating our butts."
We can't say, with any certainty, that Coach K ever sat at a kitchen table with Jordan before His Airness soared while wearing Carolina colors. It is, however, known that Krzyzewski sent MJ a letter in October 1980.
As Jay Busbee of Yahoo Sports wrote back in February 2013, Darren Rovell, then working for ESPN, revealed a brief note written by Krzyzewski to "Mr. Michael Jordan."
"Dear Mike," Coach K said. "I am sorry to hear that you no longer have an interest in learning more about Duke University, however, I do want you to know that my staff and I wish you the very best in your college career."
Busbee astutely pointed out the "no longer" in the letter implies there was at least interest from one side in Jordan playing for Coach K. Perhaps Krzyzewski merely never got around to returning a call to MJ before it was too late.
Krzyzewski also spoke with Cowherd about LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and not coaching in the NBA:
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