(PROCESS)[COACH K AND I BECAME CLOSE WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.]

I gained a lot of respect for him as he recruited me, and I would have attended Duke had I gone to college. Getting to play for him over a decade later with Team USA was fulfilling.

A few things about him stood out. For one, he was really intense, which I could appreciate. Outside of that, he really cares about and loves his players. Most of all, his competitive spirit resonated with me. He and I approach winning and losing the same way, in that winning is the goal, and losing is, well, losing isn’t even on the table.

Our nation means so much to Coach Mike Krzyzewski. He really hammered home the significance of getting to represent our country. Everything he did—from having generals come to speak with us, having soldiers be a part of our preparation process, having us take tours of national monuments—was aimed at increasing our admiration and love for America. You could sense that in the way he had us playing, in the intensity we showed.