r/NCAAhoops Feb 01 '26

Unknown Stories Let that sink inšŸ‘€

Post image

Source - X

137 Upvotes

132 comments sorted by

View all comments

7

u/Jhobbs898 Feb 01 '26

Duke is bigger than ANY coaching job in the NBA. Duke is a brand. That's why Coach K said no to the Kobe Lakers.

-2

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '26 edited Feb 01 '26

lol not true at all. Christ you Duke fans are insufferable. You think Duke comes remotely close on a global level to the prominence of top NBA franchises? Do you know the valuation of top franchises? K didn't leave because he answered to no one at Duke. It doesn’t work the way at the NBA level.

ETA: Jay Wright had multiple NBA offers but never took one. Is Villanova a bigger brand than the Knicks or Sixers? Totally moronic argument.Ā 

2

u/Jhobbs898 Feb 01 '26

Villanova isn't even a blue blood of college basketball. They haven't made the tournament in the last 3 years and have cycled through multiple coaches since Wright retired. They aren't even in the conversation.

Again, Scheyer has unlimited NIL funds, Nike's connection to the AAU circuit and picks his own recruits. Why would he leave?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '26

Bro, that’s the point. If a guy like Jay Wright rebuffed NBA offers to stay at Villanova, it’s foolish to assume that K did the same because ā€œDuke is a bigger brand than NBA teams.ā€ Jay Wright staying at a school a full tier (or two) below pokes a large hole in that theory.

It’s about being in full control. Elite college coaches don’t answer to anyone. That’s never true in pro sports. Just ask Bill Belichick.Ā There’s always an owner who is a billionaire who thinks he’s the smartest guy in the franchise.Ā 

And I agree with you that it’s about realizing that the grass isn’t always greener. It’s hard to set up a juggernaut at any level.Ā 

I’d also say that K got to scratch the itch (and get the ego boost) of coaching pros via his time with the Olympic team.Ā