Duke’s Coach K urges unity and patience in the ‘war’ against coronavirus
Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski released a video Monday that had nothing to do with basketball but everything to do with dealing with the spread of the coronavirus.
In what could serve as a public health announcement, Krzyzewski urged everyone to “please be safe” and noted “we’re all on the same team” in battling the pandemic.
“We’re really at war right now with an unseen enemy, the coronavirus,” he said. “This is a time for unity, it’s a time for everyone to work together and really develop what should be there all the time, and that’s a country’s team in support of one another to beat this.
“You’re going to be asked to do a whole bunch of new things. Have patience. We actually might learn some things that will help us when we get through and beat this thing. ... Please, please be safe.”
In the video, posted on the Duke men’s basketball team’s Twitter account, Krzyzewski urged the need for social distancing and the washing of hands, as all health experts have done, and the need to stay informed on directives by state and federal leaders.
Krzyzewski said the members of the Duke team returned home Sunday and that the Duke campus has been “shut down” during spring break. Online courses, he said, will resume Monday.
“We have to keep adapting to what’s happening,” he said. “They’re not going to finish this semester. There may not be a graduation. Who knows when we will be able to start school again in the summer.”
