WRAL Sports Fan

Coach K angry at claims of bad sportsmanship

UNC troll claims wrong as usual.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/olympics-2012/team-usa-coach-mike-krzyzewski-dismisses-idea-156-73-rout-nigeria-unsportsmanlike-article-1.1128182

LONDON - Mike Krzyzewski defended his team's record setting performance against Nigeria on Thursday and angrily dismissed suggestions that the United States tried to humiliate the African nation in its 156-73 win.

A foreign reporter initially asked Nigeria coach Ayodele Bakare if he felt the Americans were guilty of running up the score. Bakare, though, sounded more impressed than angry by what the NBA players had accomplished. Moments later, Krzyzewski, unsolicited, addressed the topic, and called the question offensive.

"We didn't play LeBron [James] and Kobe [Bryant] in the second half, and with Carmelo (Anthony) shooting like that, we benched him," Krzyzewski said after Anthony scored a U.S. Olympic record of 37 points in 14 minutes and 29 seconds. "We didn't take any fast breaks in the fourth quarter, and we played all zone. You have to take a shot every 24 seconds, and the shots we took happened to be hit.
[b]
"I take offense to this question because there's no way in the world that our program in the United States sets out to humiliate anymore."[/b]

Coach K then turn to Bakare and said: "Coach would think it humiliating if we didn't play hard."

The 83-point victory included a team record 29 3-pointers including 10 from Carmelo. The U.S. also set the all-time Olympic record for points.

"On the one side, it's terrible to get whupped like that," Nigeria's Koko Archibong said. "But on the other side, it was something impressive to be a part of - impressive to witness in person."

RE: Coach K angry at claims of bad sportsmanship

I guess they should've have punted to ball into the stands each possession or just laid down & took naps. Guys, next time down the floor when the shot clock runs down, just start making out with the ball, dont shoot it. Don't play hard, the essense of sports competition. We don't want to win by too much. What a bunch of sissies this world is turning into

RE: Coach K angry at claims of bad sportsmanship

I agree with the overall sentiment of the topic.... but there is no reason why the team was tossing up 29 3's.... they could have taken those shots as 2's, and still hit them, and won by less.

and baby bret... thx for the usual self flagellation.....

RE: Coach K angry at claims of bad sportsmanship

I guess they should've have punted to ball into the stands each possession or just laid down & took naps. Guys, next time down the floor when the shot clock runs down, just start making out with the ball, dont shoot it. Don't play hard, the essense of sports competition. We don't want to win by too much. What a bunch of sissies this world is turning into 

- Posted by bretttarton

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i24/dptwiz/butthurt_report_form.jpg

RE: Coach K angry at claims of bad sportsmanship

I agree with the overall sentiment of the topic.... but there is no reason why the team was tossing up 29 3's.... they could have taken those shots as 2's, and still hit them, and won by less.

and baby bret... thx for the usual self flagellation..... 

- Posted by nucdnscut

Yeah that sounds logical. You receive a pass, wide-open at the 3pt line.... but let's take a step up to make it count for less points.

What sport are you watching? People payed upwards of $1,000 per ticket to watch USA play. I think they would have booed them if they stopped playing.

Stop trolling.

RE: Coach K angry at claims of bad sportsmanship

It is amazing that some people just read a line or two, and make ridiculous comments.

I can only assume, like WC Fields would say... that there is a sucker born everyday.

And it is obvious that the concept of sportsmanship is lacking in some individuals. Pls see the badminton ruling.

RE: Coach K angry at claims of bad sportsmanship

I agree with the overall sentiment of the topic.... but there is no reason why the team was tossing up 29 3's.... they could have taken those shots as 2's, and still hit them, and won by less.

and baby bret... thx for the usual self flagellation..... 

- Posted by nucdnscut

Yeah that sounds logical. You receive a pass, wide-open at the 3pt line.... but let's take a step up to make it count for less points.

What sport are you watching? People payed upwards of $1,000 per ticket to watch USA play. I think they would have booed them if they stopped playing.

Stop trolling. 

- Posted by BlueDevils00

Yet, you dookies want UNC not to shoot at the end of the game when they are ahead. Especially your boy BDF. What's that word Paulie-girl is once again looking for? Oh yes! Hypocrite!

RE: Coach K angry at claims of bad sportsmanship

From ESPN:

Another source of irritation was the suggestion from a German reporter that Team USA ran up the score. That prompted Coach K -- after noting how LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were benched after halftime, how Anthony and Kevin Durant soon shot their way next to them and how Team USA went exclusively to a zone defense and called off fast breaks in the fourth quarter-- to shoot back that "I take offense to this question." He also made the counter claim that holding back against the first-time Olympians would have been a far greater sign of disrespect.

RE: Coach K angry at claims of bad sportsmanship

Also:

Former No. 9 overall pick Ike Diogu, with 27 points and seven boards, was Nigeria's only counter. But both Diogu and the gracious Bakare said afterward that they did not feel as though their world-famous foes were trying to overload the scoreboard in an international setting, remember, where the game lasts only 40 minutes as opposed to 48.

"They didn't go out of their way to humiliate us," Diogu said. "I didn't feel like that."

"Coach K is one of the biggest influences on my coaching career," Bakare said, "something he might deny after the result of this game."

RE: Coach K angry at claims of bad sportsmanship

I agree with the overall sentiment of the topic.... but there is no reason why the team was tossing up 29 3's.... they could have taken those shots as 2's, and still hit them, and won by less.

and baby bret... thx for the usual self flagellation..... 

- Posted by nucdnscut

Just to make sure that I understand you correctly, your second half game plan to ensure we didn't blow out Nigeria would be to only take high percentage shots?

RE: Coach K angry at claims of bad sportsmanship

The only way they could have played and not blown out Nigeria would be to come out in the second half and shoot at the wrong basket.