When Kobe Bryant 'cried' after Coach K's instructions to Team USA for Olympics: "Don't be the zillionaires you are"
In March 2023, Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski sat down with former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers for an episode of ESPN's "Lead by Example." He recalled a moment from the 2012 London Olympics when he made NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant cry after giving a speech on the first night the team came together.
"The first night I met with the Olympic team, I told them, 'You're not playing for the United States,'" Coach K said. "I pointed to a picture of the gold medal we had. I said, 'We won't win unless you are the United States basketball. We have to own it.'
"I asked them later that night, 'When you go up to your suites, don't be the zillionaires you are, the studs. I want you to be 16 for one minute.'" (33:00)
Afterward, Kobe approached Coach K, moved by the speech:
"Later that night, I'm playing some video poker and Kobe comes up. He taps me on the shoulder. I said, 'What's up?.' He said, 'I did what you asked me to do.' I said, 'What happened?' He said, 'I cried.'" (33:42)
It was a moment Coach K never forgot:
"I got chills right now, thinking, 'All right man. This is gonna be great.' This guy owns it. ... We were able to get everybody to own it. But, it was easy for him to own." (34:03)
The 2012 U.S. Olympic team went on to bag the gold medal, defeating Spain 107-100 in the final and finishing with an 8-0 slate. It was another gold for Team USA, following the "Redeem Team" win in 2008, where Kobe Bryant had also been an integral component.
Coach K says Kobe's preparation was unmatched
Krzyzewski expounded on how close he and Kobe became during the two Olympic stints they worked together. What set the "Black Mamba" apart, according to Coach K, was how ready he was at any given time:
"He was the most prepared of any player I've ever seen. I call him an alien. He's just different and beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. He'd come early for the Redeem Team. He showed up two days early and met with me.
"And he said, 'I want you to do me a favor.' And I said, 'Yeah, what is it? and he said, 'I want to guard the best perimeter player on every team we play. ... and I promise you, I'll destroy him.'" (31:29)
Including the two Olympic wins, Kobe played for his country on five national teams and brought home a 36-0 record.