How Coach K's initial message misses mark
Rather than tell the team its job is to win the World Championship on the night of Sept. 3, Coach K gave the players exactly the kind of misguided advice they didn't need to hear.
"We have to go out there and be dominant for 56 quarters -- every quarter of every game we play. That's our mission," Gilbert Arenas told me following Team USA's first practice Wednesday.
"Coach Mike," Arenas replied.
Well, Coach Mike or Coach K, or whatever you want to call him, is dead wrong, and Insider is not afraid to say so. This isn't 1992 anymore. This isn't about playing like the original Dream Team, for which Coach K was an assistant under Chuck Daly. And this should not be about restoring American dominance following three losses at the 2002 World Championship and three more losses at the 2004 Olympics.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider ESPN The Magazine subscribers Need more information?
SPONSORED HEADLINES
MORE NBA HEADLINES
- Pacers' Hibbert accuses Battier of 'dirty' play
- Sources: Nets contacted Celtics about Rivers
- LeBron unanimous, Kobe on All-NBA first team
- LeBron says Jordan's scouting report wrong
MOST SENT STORIES ON ESPN.COM
EDITORS' PICKS

- Help Wanted
- Adande and Gutierrez weigh in on the NBA's coaching carousel. C2C »

- Any Questions?
- Game 1 analysis

- Overrated?
- Who's the next Damian Lillard? Who are the top prospects? 5-on-5

- Elhassan/Doolittle: Lotto team draft guides
- Ford: Mock Draft 3.0 | NJ workouts
- Pelton: Pacers-Heat Game 1 FAQ
- Thorpe: What Z-Bo must change
- Haberstroh: Five adjustments for Grizzlies

