National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame honors Chicago native Mike Krzyzewski

The National Collegiate Basketball (NCB) Hall of Fame held its Class of 2023 induction ceremony on Wednesday, August 30, celebrating the accomplishments of legendary coaches Mike Krzyzewski, Johnny Dawkins, as well as coach Herb Magee, North Carolina star player Tyler Hansborough, and talent scout Tom Konchalski.

Inductees and their families gathered at 167 N Green Street in Chicago’s West Loop for a red carpet appearance and the subsequent award ceremony. Honorable guests Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski and Johnny Dawkins gave statements to the press expressing gratitude for the Hall of Fame induction and offering insights on their careers.

Dubbed the “winningest” coach in division 1 men’s basketball history, Mike  Krzyzewski won an astonishing 1,129 games across his decades-long career as the head coach of Duke University. 

Krzyzewski led the Duke Blue Devils to five national championship victories, 15 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) tournament wins, and 14 ACC season titles. Coach K also led the USA Olympic Basketball Team to gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2016.

A Chicago native and the son of Polish immigrants, Krzyzewski’s story began in the city’s Ukrainian Village neighborhood. In a statement to the press, Krzyzewski reflected on how his upbringing shaped his career, remarking that his parents and community “taught [him] a work ethic and gave [him] a good value system”.

Alongside Krzyzewski was former Duke guard and current University of Central Florida (UCF) head coach Johnny Dakwins. Dawkins is one of Duke’s most accomplished veteran players, scoring a record number 2,556 points between 1982 and 1986 under the leadership of coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Dawkins stated that Krzyzewski always made him feel like a priority, showing faith in his players and vision for the Duke University team. “[Krzyzewski's] was a championship vision, one in which he felt that the group he was trying to assemble, the group I was a part of, had the potential to become a championship caliber team.”  

The NCB Hall of Fame honors the coaches, players, and benefactors who represent greatness within men’s college basketball, having dedicated their lives to the sport. The Class of 2023 inductees have won countless championships, shattered records, and changed the course of college basketball history forever.