The first time Rockets head coach Stephen Silas crossed paths with Mike Krzyzewski his Brown University Bears had just lost to Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 10, 1994.
“We went through the handshake line at the end,” Silas recalled before Friday’s game in Denver. “And he actually knew my name, which was pretty cool because I didn't really even play, but he knew my name.”
Once his coaching career started Silas crossed paths with Krzyzewski a few times. He coached Gerald Henderson Jr in Charlotte from 2010-2015 and the Bobcats practiced inside Cameron Indoor Stadium before a 2012 preseason game against the Miami Heat in Raleigh.
“He’s always gracious,” Silas said.
Krzyzewski coached the final regular season game of his career on Saturday, and his 42-year run as Duke’s head coach will end after the NCAA Tournament. He never coached a day in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t impact the league.
“He's had a huge effect on so many guys in this league,” Silas said. “The longevity that he's had and you think about all of the players that he has coached over the years that have really had a huge effect on the game.”
70 of Krzyzewski’s former players have played in the NBA, 42 were drafted in the first round, 28 heard their name called during the lottery. The Duke head coach also led USA Basketball to Olympic gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
“He's just definitely one of the all-time greats,” Silas said. “My stories definitely aren't that great when it comes to him, but I do appreciate everything he's done for this league and for college basketball.”