Duke basketball players took to social media to react to the retirement of Mike Krzyzewski.
Mike Krzyzewski is leaving the Duke basketball program after the 2021-22 season as he will begin his post-basketball career, and his players are looking to send him out on the highest note possible.
Entering the 2021-22 campaign, Krzyzewski has won 1,170 games, five National Championships, 15 ACC Tournament Championships, three Team USA Gold Medals, and a host of other accolades.
However, next season’s Duke team will enter the year with more pressure on its shoulders than any other team Krzyzewski has coached, not only because the Hall of Famer will exit the college game but also due to the fact that the Blue Devils missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1994-95 season last year.
Incoming freshman Paolo Banchero was one of the first players to acknowledge the news as first reported by Stadium’s Jeff Goodman on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.
last ride for tha goat💙👿💨
— Paolo Banchero (@Pp_doesit) June 2, 2021
Rising sophomore star Mark Williams, who announced his return to Duke earlier this offseason, also took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the team’s mentality entering the 2021-22 season.
let’s do this
— Mark Williams (@MarkWi1liams) June 2, 2021
Other Duke basketball players share messages about Mike Krzyzewski.
Rising junior Wendell Moore posted on Instagram a news-breaking photo of Krzyzewski with the caption of “The Last Dance” while incoming freshman Trevor Keels posted a black screen with the caption “Chasing 6.”
Joey Baker, who will be entering his senior year in Durham, posted “One last dance” via his Instagram while Mark Williams also posted on Instagram with the caption “One Last Go Round.”
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Keenan Worthington, a seldom-used junior walk-on, posted the emoji of a goat, inferring that Krzyzewski is the Greatest of All Time, Finally, Mike Krzyzewski’s grandson, Michael Savarino, a rising junior walk-on with the Blue Devils, captioned his Instagram story “Last Ride with My Guy.”
It will certainly be an emotional nine to 10 months in Durham until Jon Scheyer takes over for Mike Krzyzewski in April of 2022 as the next Duke basketball head coach.