Mike Krzyzewski, more commonly known by his nickname, ‘Coach K’, is the long-time head coach at Duke University and one of the most well-respected coaches in all of college basketball. He has also contributed to a number of Olympic Gold Medal wins for USA Basketball and is an influential figure for a number of the game’s best players of this generation.
Coach K’s 20-year-old grandson Michael Savarino is also a player at Duke, having earned a scholarship in 2021 following 2 seasons as a walk-on. This season, Savarino checked into a game and drained a three-pointer for the Blue Devils. The cameras panned to Coach K, and his deadpan reaction was shared by kicks on Instagram.
It was always unlikely that he would show extra emotion at a time like this, considering that Krzyzewski is the ultimate professional but his reaction is still surprising, especially with the rest of the team getting off their seats in celebration. It may have also had something to do with the fact that Duke were already comfortably beating South Carolina, and the 3-pointer gave them a near 40-point lead.
Savarino has had his issues off the court this season, after he was caught for driving under the influence of alcohol in November. This 3-pointer came on his return after the ensuing suspension as he works to move past the incident and focus on his basketball. Coach K had spoken before the game on Savarino learning from his mistakes, as per the News & Observer.
“The only way you get better is by acknowledging that you did something wrong, accepting the punishment and learning from it. To me, that’s what a university is supposed to be about. So we’ve done it with the university and handled it in that manner. He’s learned a good lesson and he’s going to pay a price for it. He already has paid a price for it. You do something, you’ve got to pay a price.”
Savarino is 20 years old and is averaging 1.5 points per game, having featured in just 4 games for Duke. It remains to be seen if he will be able to bounce back from his misdemeanors off the field and contribute to some more crucial moments for Duke and elicit a more animated reaction from Coach K.
