Coach K: I never recruited Michael Jordan to Duke

Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski discussed a series of NBA greats on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd." Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Krzyzewski says Duke didn't recruit Michael Jordan despite evidence to the contrary

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Apr 9, 2020 3:29 PM ET

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."

Coach K tells Colin Cowherd that he never recruited Michael Jordan.

(See follow-up tweet) pic.twitter.com/fhWE9osk23
— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) April 9, 2020

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.

Coach K's letter to Michael Jordan when he found out he wouldn't be coming to Duke pic.twitter.com/J5Gq4v1Vb0
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 20, 2015

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:

Coach Mike Krzyzewski on coaching LeBron & Kobe:

"I had two of the smartest players to ever play any sport. They meshed. They made each other better." pic.twitter.com/lfWbSkFRUW
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 9, 2020

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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