Coach K spurned the Kobe/Shaq Lakers to remake JJ Redick & chase a 4th ring | Four Decades in Durham

In this episode of Four Decades in Durham, JJ Redick, Shelden Williams, Jay Bilas and Jay Williams join host Dalen Cuff to tell the story of Duke's 2006 NCAA tournament upset. After Coach K turned down an offer to coach the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004, a recommitted Redick and Williams continued their collegiate dominance in the regular season, but couldn’t make it past the Sweet 16.

0:00 Intro
3:04 The core
6:32 Heroes and villains
8:49 Defining moment
9:44 The rivalry

[iantoner]

These teams are the reason I’ve loved basketball for my entire life. Some of my oldest memories are watching Jj lace it up against Texas and all the other great games. I’ll never forget that crushing LSU loss when big baby Davis was on the free throw line and they sent all their guys down to defend and Davis missed and got his own rebound 4 on 1. But as a true fan we take both the highs and the lows! Thanks Jj and Sheldon and all the guys for giving me a love for basketball that I will forever cherish

[thegreat]

This was the best college hoops era. JJ is my all time favorite college player.

[pmorton]

I was on the Duke campus for a summer school program called LEAD back in 92'. People are actually camping out weeks ahead to get those cheap student tickets. Also met Jalele White who was attending the Tommy Amaker basketball camp. That's what he spent his Urkle money on...

[lynnerose]

Being called an Uncle Tom is awfully venomous. I have no idea how Jay says that didn’t mean that much.

[tavzilla]

Reducing the game to X’s an O’s it’s people, you can tell the difference between Duke players and players from other colleges

[jasonsmith]

Making the Final 4 is still a helluva run. "Oh they lost ANOTHER Final 4." Ya gotta make the Final 4, to lose the Final 4...& since there's like 300+ D-1 schools... that's a pretty great run, no matter what program you are.I hate this mentality in any sport of 1 team wins a title, everybody else ties for last, or are miserable failures.

Obviously, you are disappointed if you don't win it all. But getting to a CBB or CFB Final 4, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, or Cup Finals-is still so difficult. Like winning a silver.or bronze medal at Olympics. Especially when some under dog team goes way farther than expected...this year's Cincinnati Bengals are somewhat of an example, but they weren't huge under dogs.

Last seasons Montreal Canadians-perfect example. Barely made the playoffs, supposed to get swept by Toronto. Came back from 3-1 series deficit. Then pulled 2 more series upsets, but fell to the defending Cup Champions in the Finals. People with that mentality-of Championship or failure...with nuance involved at all...are you telling me that team failed, or their accomplishments mean nothing? Missing the playoffs, is the same as losing the SB, or Cup Final? Even getting to a conference final in NBA, or NHL...or AFC/NFC title game... that's some level of accomplishment.

Obviously, Duke is rarely an under dog-like Montreal last year. And I concede its a bit different for overwhelming favorites...ie-Canadian hockey, (especially the women)USA basketball, (men or women), 1991 UNLV, 1980 USSR hockey. But it's still ludicrous to consider teams failures cuz they barely fell short. Maybe they underachieved in some cases.

Take 1991 UNLV-won a national title in 1990, won like 45 games in a row, or something, made another Final 4-with an undefeated record, but largely cuz Greg Anthony fouled out-on questionable charge-they barely lost the semifinal to Duke. A Duke team they beat by 30 in 1990 title game. That Duke team went to 4 or 5 straight Final 4s, & back to national titles. I hated him, but Christian Laettner is arguably the most accomplished cb player ever, Bobby Hurley is cbb HOFer, Grant Hill, Thomas Hill...that team was stacked.

Cuz '91 UNLV lost by 2 in the Final 4...their only close game, let alone loss of the season...suddenly they were failures, cuz Vegas said they were huge favorites? Get out of here...simplistic, unuanced, & "black & white thinking" mentality...that's ludicrous.

[anhiirr]

man what a throwback/testament to game JJ being a walking bucket at that level of competition but staying out of respect to DUKE and coach K. Totally not something you saw out of talent like that in, that specific era.. Coach k Is just that great of a coaching talent it cant really be put into words other than hes this eras john wooden. Then agan even JJ said HAD I WON....etc about leaving as various greats played and won multiple championships for wooden. Still with how the times have changed you cant help but feel how emblematic JJ's game and dedication to game and DUKE and coach K is reminiscent of a time when great talents played longer in NCAA and developed their game to an NBA level. Now you see that out of younger international players, as "science projects" like zubac take time....as the NBA "school of hard knocks" has proven. IMO thats just a way of showing how developmental aspects in THE NBA is based on touches/mins played, teams need. With players drafted as lottery pick/franchise center pieces, Or players like zubac. That never saw the NCAA arena at all. Now in this era we get to see so many players like JA or even Green with the rockets that prove THE NCAA/nba ruler were just a 1 year stop gap for players with their skillset/intent. Players like JJ or even back to the greats that really attest to their NCAA experience to what shaped their NBA game. Even NC with their linage of worthy to MJ...to eventually meeting near the end of worthys career. Its all in the lore and love of the game for me i guess. Even Respect to the game sure JJ would not be the most defensively capable guard at the 2 esp when his team ran small. But he still had a respect for his and his opponents ability as well as attempting to make them pay on the other end Did that job well enough to play a specialist role which IMO set a really high standard for that type of positional guard play. Some players stayed in the league a walking bucket like Jamal crawford or Lou will, others like JJ by being solid at doing what you do at a top 10-5 level and playing hard regardless in games when those numbers dont come.

[marcellehardingsr.]

It's always DukeNation over everything and that's no cap!!! Y'all haters better catch up or get lost!!!

[telmolicious]

In 2004 he wouldn't have been coaching Kobe AND Shaq..

[pmorton]

I loved Reddick, and I'm a long suffering NC State fan. Still hate Wojo though.. 😆

[Andres_champs]

Really JWill, "all Duke white players are hated " sounds pretty subjective Mr.Analyst.

[edgarramirez]

Let's not mention mr buss wanted Roy first