Mike Krzyzewski

“Playing sport was somewhat frivolous, but I liked it. I rebelled a little bit, and wouldn't go to music lessons and things like that, but I would go and play ball. My parents learned to love it because they saw how much I got out of it.”

“To me, teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have five acting as one. You become selfless.”

“Leadership is an ever-evolving position.”

“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 you're not a human being unless you have doubts and fears.”

“Throughout my life, my mom has been the person that I've always looked up to.”

“Everybody wants to take responsibility when you win, but when you fail, all these fingers are pointing.”

“The thing I loved the most - and still love the most about teaching - is that you can connect with an individual or a group, and see that individual or group exceed their limits.”

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

“In high school, in sport, I had a coach who told me I was much better than I thought I was, and would make me do more in a positive sense. He was the first person who taught me not to be afraid of failure.”

“The person who has inspired me my whole life is my Mom, because she taught me commitment. She sacrificed.”

“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.”

“I'm still not a great reader, but my wife is and my daughters are, and I envy them. I think I got into a bad habit of trying to do something all the time, instead of trying to sit down and take my time a little bit.”

“Actually, the Kentucky moment was better than winning the two National Championships, because it was the epitome of what I try to get from a team in a crisis situation.”

“When I went to high school, an all-boys' school, a Catholic school, I tried out for football, and I didn't make it. It was the first time, athletically, that I was knocked down.”

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

“I had a really bad temper, when I was growing up. Sport helped me channel that temper into more positive acts.”

“I hated to lose.”

“I always wanted to teach.”

“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.”