Jay Bilas makes hilarious joke on Coach K decision not to attend Duke games

Former Duke basketball player and now prominent TV analyst Jay Bilas joined the Rich Eisen Show recently. As part of his appearance, Eisen asked Bilas about Mike Krzyzewski’s announcement that he would not attend Duke home games during the 2022-23 season. Eisen doubted that Coach K was really done going to Duke games. But Bilas thought K was telling the truth.

“I don’t think he wants to be the distraction, frankly,” Bilas shared. He explained that Coach K no longer runs normal errands — such as going to the grocery store — out of fear of being mobbed by Blue Devils supporters. He doesn’t fly commercially either. According to Bilas, it’s private jets exclusively for Mike Krzyzewski.

So him going to the games would be like the pope showing up to church when another priest is running mass. Coach K is stepping back into the shadows so that his protege can step into the spotlight.

Bilas also joked that Coach K has better things to do than mope around a program he no longer coaches. “He’s got pickle ball games scheduled,” Bilas joked. He mentioned that the 75-year-old new retiree once excelled at both tennis and racquetball in his older years, so now, perhaps Krzyzewski can pick up pickle ball.

Eisen questioned the legitimacy of someone as old as Coach K actually playing pickle ball. Bilas was having none of the slander of Coach K’s athletic abilities. Bilas asserted to Eisen that Coach K “would kick your [rear end]” at pickle ball if the two played.

Well, as much as Jay Bilas likes to joke, he seems pretty serious about Coach K not attending the Duke games. Sounds like the retired great is completely done with hoops. He’s ready to explore other interests and really separate himself from the program he called home for four decades.

Duke Basketball releases 2022-23 ACC slate

The official Men’s Basketball twitter account for the team posted a graphic revealing which conference foes the Blue Devils will play on the road, which ones they’ll play at home, and which ones they’ll play on the road and at home.

Take a look.

ACC home/road opponents are set! #HereComesDuke pic.twitter.com/rrIAYlKYR0

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) June 20, 2022

Obviously, Duke will take on North Carolina twice. But they’ll also face fellow in-state rivals NC State and Wake Forrest twice as well, along with Virginia Tech, Boston College and Miami. Everyone else they will face just once.

Florida State, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame will head to Durham with no return trip from the Blue Devils. Meanwhile, Duke will visit Clemson, Virginia, Syracuse and Georgia Tech with none of them coming to Cameron Indoor.