Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski made headlines after his team’s loss to Oregon on Saturday when he lectured Ducks star Dillon Brooks about showboating. Coach K told Brooks he was “too good of a player” to being showing off by throwing up a 3-pointer in a game that Oregon had under wraps.
Apparently, this is not the first time Krzyzewski has taken the liberty of scolding an opponent after a Blue Devils loss.
In 2007, Coach K had a similar chat with former Virginia Tech guard Zabian Dowdell following the Hokies’ overtime win over then-No. 5 Duke. Dowdell, who scored 20 points and had five steals, bumped chests with a teammate and flashed his jersey to taunt the Cameron Crazies.
“He just told me I’m too classy of a guy to be carrying on like that,” Dowdell said at the time.
When Coach K was asked about his conversation with Dowdell, he repeatedly interrupted a reporter and said he was simply congratulating Dowdell on being “fabulous” in the game. If that sounds familiar, it’s probably because Krzyzewski said almost the same exact thing when asked about his exchange with Brooks.
After a video clearly showed that he lectured Brooks (watch it here), Coach K apologized and said it is not his place to speak to another team’s player.
If you ask me, Coach K simply let his frustration get the best of him on both occasions. He knows some of the things the Cameron Crazies have been accused of saying, and he loves the home-court advantage that they give the Blue Devils. There’s nothing wrong with players giving it back.
H/T Deadspin
