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Coach K Reveals Amazing Kobe Bryant ‘Mamba Mentality’ Story From 2008 Olympics: “I Promise, I’ll Destroy ‘Em”

Mike Krzyzewski is one of the biggest coaching legends in all of basketball. Coach K has not only been coaching men’s basketball at Duke University, where he led the Blue Devils to five NCAA titles, but also Team USA, which he has led to three gold medals at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics.

The 2008 Olympics team, dubbed ‘the redemption team’ was on a mission to bring back the gold where it belongs, after 2004’s Team USA lost in the semifinals to Argentina – to this day one of the biggest embarrassments in Team USA history.

Led by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, the redemption team went on to destroy their opponents, fulfilling their promise of bringing back the golden medal.

When making a guest appearance on JJ Redick’s ‘the old man and the three’ podcast, Coach K now revealed an incredible Kobe Bryant story that has ‘Mamba Mentality’ written all over it and shows you just how driven and determined Bryant was on and off the court.

“I am with my staff in Vegas a couple of days before the team comes in and all of a sudden there’s a knock on the door, two days early, and it’s Kobe. He said, ‘Coach, can I talk to you for a minute?’ We went to a private room, and he said, ‘I need to ask you a favor.’ I said ‘yeah, what is it?’ He said, ‘I want to guard the best perimeter player on every team we play… Coach, I promise you, I’ll destroy ’em.’

We go we have a team meeting in the first practice. He doesn’t take a shot. He’s playing defense… I said, ‘I’ve seen you destroy teams, offensively. Will you shoot the frickin’ ball?’

…He knew that for us to win the gold medal, we would have to beat Argentina… He wanted to guard Ginobili, he already had that figured out, and he’s gonna prepare to guard Ginobili.”