US Olympic basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday he expects the London Games to be his last Olympics at the helm of the American team of NBA stars.
Krzyzewski, the hugely successful Duke University coach, was brought in to guide a revamped US squad after a disappointing bronze medal finish at the Athens Games.
He was drafted by USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo, who set up the current system of creating a pool of players to draw from for international duty, thereby creating more continuity in the national team.
With NBA superstars Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James competing, the United States won gold at Beijing in 2008.
A team led by Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant won the 2010 World title. Players from each of those squads will represent the United States in London.
"It's the ultimate honor to have the opportunity to coach your country's team," he said. "It's the ultimate. To work with our great athletes, to work with Jerry ... I've learned so much.
"When Jerry asked me again after 2008 to do it again it was a good decision to make. The best honor in my coaching career has been to be the United States national coach."
That said, he didn't see himself coaching in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
"I think this is the last time," he said. "I hope we can win a gold medal. I'll always want to be a part of the programme."
Source: AFP American Edition
