The basketball competition in the 2016 Summer Olympics starts Aug. 6, but USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo is still concerned about who will coach Team USA in Rio de Janeiro.
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski has led the team since 2005, but he spent time in the heart wing of a hospital in early February and is dealing with knee concerns. Colangelo spoke to NBA TV and said “what ifs” are “certainly in the back of [his] mind” regarding potentially replacing Krzyzewski if he cannot coach in August (via Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com).
Howard-Cooper noted San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has already been determined as Coach K’s successor, “but it is unknown whether Colangelo would ask Popovich to start this summer or choose from among the current Team USA staff of Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau or Thunder assistant Monty Williams.”
Popovich is widely regarded as one of the best basketball coaches in the history of the game, and the others have plenty of experience from serving on the Team USA staff. While losing Krzyzewski would be a blow, at least Colangelo has a number of favorable options in place should that become a reality.
Howard-Cooper shared more details:
Pressed if he has a plan in mind if Krzyzewski cannot coach in Rio, Colangelo said: ‘I think so. But, again, I think it's too early to get into that. As we get closer and it appears that there's a prospect that he may not be able to or chooses not to, that's a whole different story. But let's not be premature on that.’
Colangelo had more than basketball on his mind with Coach K, however, as Howard-Cooper passed along:
I'm always concerned about people I love, and I love Coach K. You've heard my expression, 'We're joined at the hip and have been ever since we joined together back in '05.' I am concerned about his health. I told him on the phone (recently) nothing is more important than his health. Not Duke basketball. Not USA Basketball. I hope and I pray that he can take care of his situations, whatever they may be, and that he's healthy and ready to go.
Should Krzyzewski step aside for health reasons in the summer, he has indelibly left his mark on the USA Basketball program. He coached Team USA to gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics as well as the 2010 and 2014 World Cups/World Championships and the 2007 FIBA Americas.
Conversations between the legendary coach and Colangelo regarding Krzyzewski’s chances at coaching in the 2016 Olympics have apparently not progressed to the final stages, per Howard-Cooper:
Colangelo said he has ‘not really’ had conversations with Krzyzewski about possibly stepping aside before the Olympics and that ‘We're not at that stage at all. I do know that his intention is the day after his Duke season is over is to have his knee replaced. It's killing him right now. But that's just one facet of his health circumstances. We'll cross that bridge. Certainly in the back of my mind I'm thinking about what ifs. But it would be, I think, inappropriate and out of place to even discuss it.’
Krzyzewski's health is not the only potential transition for Team USA heading into the 2016 Olympics.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant already announced he will not play in Rio after he retires following the 2015-16 NBA season. What’s more, LeBron James also hasn’t made a formal commitment despite the fact he was one of 30 roster finalists announced in January.
While the immediate future of the coach and arguably the top player in the NBA in James remain in question with the Olympics approaching, Team USA is still loaded with potentially dominant talent.
Among those 30 finalists are defending MVP and NBA champion Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard and a number of other All-Stars.
Regardless of who coaches in the Olympics, finding a way to keep all that talent involved will be arguably the biggest challenge.