Dozens gathered outside of Cameron Indoor Stadium Sunday night to celebrate men's basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski's 1,000th win.
Students and fans—including toddlers, teens and parents—welcomed the team’s bus with cheers and chants. In a short speech after his arrival, Krzyzewski thanked his audience for their support and reflected on the afternoon's game against St. John’s.
“Thank you for being out tonight,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s a long season, and we have a lot of growing up to do, but today was very special.”
Following the 2 p.m game at Madison Square Garden in New York, the bus rolled in just after 10 p.m.
But those who abandoned their books in the library and left their K-ville tents to attend the celebration maintained high spirits despite the late hour and the cold.
“I almost stayed home, but there’s only one Coach K 1K,” freshman Deborah Liu said. “It’s a once in a lifetime experience.”
Another group of freshmen laughingly noted that they were showing their support despite their multivariable calculus tests Monday. Deepthi Nacharaju said she recognizes that Duke is about more than just academics, and that “school spirit is a large part of a well-rounded Duke experience.”
As the bus pulled in, line monitors and team managers instructed fans jostling for the best view to stand back.
Players descended from the bus one at a time, smiling as the crowd chanted and took pictures.
But Krzyzewski's appearance was met with the loudest of chants, as the crowd shouted praise for the man who many described as a "hero."
“History just kind of happened, you know,” sophomore Brady Jackson said. “Why not see the man, the myth, the legend?”
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