After announcing the 19 players that will compete to make Team USA's FIBA World Cup roster, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski revealed that he also recently consulted with LeBron James before James announced his decision to return to Cleveland.
According to Josh Newman of zagsblog, the four-time national champion revealed in Monday's teleconference that he was one of the few people James was willing to discuss free agency with, and disclosed that he advised the Ohio native to follow his heart.
"I just told him, '‘Do what you feel you need to do. You don’t owe anybody, you owe yourself."
Krzyzewski has coached James several times because of his role as the leader of Team USA, and had a vested interest in James' skills academy last week in Las Vegas that hosted several top recruits.
Although James will not play for Krzyzewski in this year's World Cup, one of his new teammates—former Blue Devil Kyrie Irving—will compete July 28-August 1 to make the roster.
Irving will have to compete with some of the NBA's other top point guards—Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard and Derek Rose—but has better odds of making the team because John Wall and Russell Westbrook are also skipping the event.
This year's team will be led by Kevin Durant and Kevin Love, with James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul all electing to forego the event.
Although Irving's prospects of winning a championship look a lot better because of James' decision, Krzyzewski believes that the opportunity to learn from James will also help Irving mature.
“I hope that the main thing is he serves as an example of what a star player, what a great player does in order to develop his greatness and keep it going. For Kyrie to be around that on a day-to-day basis, really all the teammates, but especially Kyrie because he can be that level of player. He’s very fortunate to have that.”
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