Duke Blue Planet BLOG

Coach K called in to the Dan Patrick Show on June 11th.  He said he is still deciding about coaching the National Team again and feels that kids should be able to go pro out of high school or have to attend college for two years.  You can listen to the interview HERE.

PHOTOS: Duke Alums and Current Players Play Pickup

During the K Academy, a number of former players found time to work out with the current team members on campus for summer school.  When asked about working with the guys, Jason Williams said, “We need to have a presence back here on campus with our guys like Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith.  For me, one of the first people I talked to (when I was a freshman) was Bobby Hurley.  Being a Jersey guy stepping in and taking the reigns as a freshman, he understood my situation.  Grant Hill took me under his wing as well.  If we can do that for a lot of the younger guys on this year’s team, it is only going to help them be more successful.”

PHOTOS FROM THE 2009 K ACADEMY

For the seventh straight year, the Duke program welcomed a host of former players and campers to campus for the annual K Academy. As always, Coach K’s fantasy camp offered up competitive games coached by former Duke players along with all sorts of perks and surprises along the way. From tents outside Cameron, to team film sessions and practices, to team meals, to motivational posters, to retired jersey ceremonies, to “senior” highlight videos for four-year campers, to lectures from Coach K, attendees enjoyed a memorable Duke Basketball experience.

K Academy facilitated a productive reunion as well with over 30 former players from the 80’s, 90’s and this decade returning. The group coached together, hung out all week, and had five days to bond and catch up.

“We all have our own lives and very busy lives and that’s why a thing like this is so special,” Bobby Hurley (1993 graduate) stated.  ”I wanted to reconnect and see everybody again.”

Added Grant Hill (1994 graduate), a three-year teammate of Hurley, “It is always fun first of all to be back here at Duke and visit the basketball office and Cameron.  To have all the guys from different years, guys who have played before, during and after my time, we are a fraternity. Like Coach K talks about, it is about relationships and you bond.  It is fun.  I would pay to come and be a part of this.  I get a lot out of it.”

In bringing players together from three decades, former Duke players are able to develop friendships and share stories, stitching together decades of Duke Basketball memories. Before a video session in the team’s current locker room, you could hear Alaa Abdelnaby (1990 graduate) telling his Blue Devil contemporaries how nice they have it compared to his playing days. The K Center was also an object of envy for many of the former guys who worked out during the Academy.

As much as facilities and names have changed, the group shared a common bond in the form of a Hall of Fame coach. Said Chris Collins (1996 graduate and Associate Head Coach), “The thing that is so special about a place like this that you don’t see at other programs is we all have a bond — Coach K.  A lot of places you have a bond playing at the same school but it is multiple coaches.  It isn’t quite that family atmosphere.”

During the weekend, the K Academy’s namesake interacts with his former players, watches games, and talks with the campers. “My main thing is to socialize,” said Coach K. “I’m pumped up usually, and this pumps me up a little bit more. It’s a neat thing. It’s one of the best things that we’ve ever done. It perpetuates our family of Duke Basketball, and it raises a lot of money and awareness for some really good things (mainly the Duke program and the Emily K Center).”

It is always interesting to see Coach K seated behind the scorer’s table watching 9-10 of his former players coaching against each other and battling to win the coveted K Academy Cup. “You look down at the other team — I played against Hurley last night and that was great,” said Christian Laettner (1992 graduate).  “I played Grant’s team this morning and that was a lot of fun.  There are so many memories.  Every time you walk in the building, that whiff of air you catch reminds you of your playing days.”

A trio of Duke backcourt legends went head-to-head this year, with Team Williams, Team Duhon and Team Hurley all represented. After losing to Team Williams and then defeating Team Duhon in the same day, Hurley stated, “I didn’t want to lose to Jason.  We are both Jersey guys so there was a little side battle going on.  I really respect both those guys.  They were great players here and Chris has been excellent at the next level.”

When asked if the games become a little bit more competitive if bragging rights among former Duke teammates were at stake, Hill said, “Without a doubt, the guys you played with can be very competitive.  Laettner, Hurley, but all the guys, we all know each other and we all have put equity in the program and all have been a part of the success of this program.  We want to beat each other.  It is competitive and it is fun.”

While competing against each other on the sidelines, the former Blue Devils are also forging bonds while coaching the campers. This year’s group of attendees, men 35 and older who have been as successful in their own fields as the Hill’s, Laettner’s and Duhon’s have been on the hoops court, came from 18 different states and three countries.

“All the guys who come to camp, they’re like extended family,” said Hill. “You get to know them and everyone really comes together.” Added Billy King (1988 graduate), “You get to know the players who come to camp and develop relationships that you carry on.  It is a fun five days.”

Another group benefitting from the K Academy were our current players. Former Blue Devils joined afternoon pickup games and trained alongside some of the present-day players in the K Center. On one day, Christian Laettner worked out frontcourt players Brian Zoubek, Miles Plumlee and Mason Plumlee.

“That is the beauty of the K Academy — Having players from all different eras coming in,” said Nate James (2001 graduate and assistant coach). “You can form bonds with players you might not have had the opportunity to really get to know.  The K Academy is one of my favorite times of the year.  I love this week.”

At the end of the weekend, once the nets were cut, the K Academy championship tee-shirts were distributed and former players enjoyed a final dinner together, Cameron was empty again. Players that helped win so many of the banners gracing the rafters left town and the K Academy group looked forward to next year’s gathering, with talks of another reunion weekend even before then. A bond that started in the living rooms and on the phones of teenagers continues for men now in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

“Coach K makes you feel a part of the family beginning when he recruits you to come here,” said King.  “He talks about that Duke family and you see it now.  If you played basketball at Duke, you are part of the family, no matter how many minutes you played.  That is something he and Mickie created — The family atmosphere.”

Former Blue Devils Grant Hill and Dahntay Jones battled it out on “The Team Mating Game” on The Jimmy Kimmel Show.  The show aired on June 7th.

The magazine wrote:
“Once a tobacco town, Durham, N.C., has evolved into a world-class center of all things advanced. This city of 206,000, located halfway between the Atlantic coast and the Great Smoky Mountains, is called the “City of Medicine” because of its expansive healthcare industry. And although widely known as the home of prestigious Duke University, it’s also a thriving technology hub. At the same time, Durham’s mild climate allows residents to get out and explore the region’s abundant outdoor attractions. Consider hiking one of the many distinct trails and greenways or heading over to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park for an afternoon baseball game.”