Quotes from Mike Krzyzewski

Communication does not always occur naturally, even among a tight-knit group of individuals. Communication must be taught and practiced in order to bring everyone together as one

I have a rule on my team: when we talk to one another, we look each other right in the eye, because I think it's tough to lie to somebody. You give respect to somebody.

We travel in Duke stuff... They can have a hat, but it must be a Duke hat.

In leadership, there are no words more important than trust. In any organization, trust must be developed among every member of the team if success is going to be achieved

Every leader needs to remember that a healthy respect for authority takes time to develop. It's like building trust. You don't instantly have trust, it has to be earned.

Throughout the season, I look into my players eyes to gauge feelings, confidence levels, and to establish instant trust.

I love practice. It is when a coach exercises the most control over the improvement of his or her team.

Confrontation simply means meeting the truth head-on.

Friendships, along with love, make life worth living.

Turning down the Lakers was tough, but it is always good to renew your vows to the loves of your life.

A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That's how I want you to play.

If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, you haven't done much today.

In order to be a winner, you have to look for ways of getting things done and not for reasons why things can't be done. People who live with excuses have things that can't be done hovering around them all the time.

at the heart of character is honesty and integrity.

My hunger is not for success, it is for excellence. Because when you attain excellence, success just naturally follows.

Are you going to show integrity only when someone is watching you—or are you going to show it all the time?

Friendships, along with love, make life worth living." —Coach K

My parents didn't really understand too much about sport. At that time, we were in a Polish community in the inner city of Chicago, and I was the youngest of a bunch of cousins. Polish families are real big, with cousins and aunts and uncles.

I think some parents now look at a youngster failing as the final thing. It's a process, and failure is part of the process. I would like it if the teacher and the parents would connect more. I think that used to be, but we're losing a little bit of that right now.

Parents can really help, but they can also really hinder the development of their youngsters.

The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions.

Sometimes it's not bad to hurt. Sometimes you don't want things until you get hurt. We got hurt today, let's see what we do.

I don't think you play for other people's expectations, you know. You don't go and become a lawyer because your mother or father want you to, you don't become a coach because somebody wants you to.

You can see and you can listen, but you have to have moments in which you feel.