NEW YORK—Any event at Madison Square Garden is bound to attract a star-studded crowd, and Sunday's announced 19,812 patrons included a handful of A-list celebrities.
Several current and former NBA standouts joined the Red Storm and Blue Devil faithful to witness head coach Mike Krzyzewski's 1,000th career win, including New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and team president Phil Jackson.
NCAA President Mark Emmert was also on hand, and congratulated Krzyzewski on his way back to the Duke locker room. Former Golden State Warrior great Chris Mullin—a St. John's product who Krzyzewski attempted to woo to Durham in his early years of recruiting—sat alongside former Red Storm coaching legend Lou Carnesecca.
Krzyzewski visited with Carnesecca—himself a winner of 526 games—pregame, and received a message not to celebrate too hard, were the Blue Devils to emerge victorious.
"He said ‘Don’t take the chandeliers,’" Krzyzewski said. "I said ‘You gotta be kidding me. I just hope we can take a ball.’"
Several of Krzyzewski's former players were also in attendance in the Big Apple, including center Mason Plumlee, currently enjoying a breakout season with the Brooklyn Nets. But it was The Garden's co-tenants that were brought under the microscope Sunday.
Anthony—who played for Krzyzewski with Team USA—and his Knicks are a dismal 8-37, with many fans hoping the team could land Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor in the lottery, should the ping pong balls fall their way.
The veteran from Syracuse said after the game that he attended Sunday's contest as a spectator, and offered brief praise of the Blue Devil phenom. Making his Madison Square Garden debut, Okafor collected a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
"He’s got a great feel for the game, great touch, and he’s a big body," Anthony said. "He’s a load."
Krzyzewski went farther in breaking down the Chicago native's game. Challenged by Red Storm big man Chris Obekpa, Okafor never dominated Sunday's game as he as at other times this season, but played a key role in the Duke comeback with a three-point play to bring the Blue Devils within two.
He has the biggest upside in college basketball. He’s a remarkable player, it takes [nearly] an entire team to neutralize him, or at least two or three guys," Krzyzewski said. "It’s really hard to play tired, and that’s what he did today.... He’s going to be one of the great players. He’ll be a franchise player and a franchise person for whoever’s lucky enough to get him."
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