Hancock 4 Duke
06-29-2013, 07:01 PM
So I was at Coach K's Duke Basketball Camp this past week, when unfortunately I broke my growth plate in my knee in a camp game and had to be hauled in an ambulance to the Duke Hospital. One of the managers, who is close with my dad, called to check in to see if I was okay, what the diagnosis was, etc. and then he said "I have someone that wants to talk to you" and I said "alright."
"Hey Chris, it's Coach K"
I was star struck. I had no idea what to say so I stuttered a "H-hey!"
He told me how he heard that I acted real tough when I got hurt (I was on the ground for 45 minutes having trainers look at me. I figured there's no reason to cry about what I can't control, so I sat and made funny faces at my teammates and cracked jokes with the staff) and that I would have fit in well with him in the Army. He made a couple of jokes on the phone, being friendly, while I was just saying "Yes sir...Yes sir" in pure awe. He seemed to know about how I've had problems with my knees in the past, and he asked if it was because I was growing. I just said "Yes sir" once again, and he told me, "Well, maybe if you keep growing to be 6'11, we'll have some more conversations on the phone". I was so excited that I was having an actual conversation with THE Coach K. He also told me he'd like for me to have the chance to come sit behind the Duke bench for a game at Cameron, then told me he'd be glad to meet me the next day at Cameron when the camp was over. After I watched my team play their last game (we went undefeated!) I hopped on a golf cart over to Cameron, went into the Schwartz-Butters building, and Coach K was standing there in the hallway. We shook hands, talked for a little bit, and he talked about how he was glad I didn't have to have surgery on my knee. Then Jon Scheyer and Ryan Kelly walked in, as Jon was working as a coach at the camp, and Ryan just visiting I assume, saying they wanted to meet the "toughest kid at camp". That made my day, and I told Ryan that when I came back from the injury, I would drop 36 in my first game to honor him. They all laughed and then Coach K said he would love for me to come sit courtside behind the Duke bench at one of the games next season and I happily agreed. We all took a picture together, and I headed back home with a cast up to my thigh.
So I guess it was a good trade-off for a broken leg!
pics!
Me on the phone with Coach K: http://i.imgur.com/8wpv7S6.jpg
The team that went 7-0 throughout camp: http://i.imgur.com/AtnLfEO.jpg
The break: http://i.imgur.com/3ykWGaE.jpg
With Scheyer, Kelly, Coach K, and the manager: http://i.imgur.com/HUxsyru.jpg
"Hey Chris, it's Coach K"
I was star struck. I had no idea what to say so I stuttered a "H-hey!"
He told me how he heard that I acted real tough when I got hurt (I was on the ground for 45 minutes having trainers look at me. I figured there's no reason to cry about what I can't control, so I sat and made funny faces at my teammates and cracked jokes with the staff) and that I would have fit in well with him in the Army. He made a couple of jokes on the phone, being friendly, while I was just saying "Yes sir...Yes sir" in pure awe. He seemed to know about how I've had problems with my knees in the past, and he asked if it was because I was growing. I just said "Yes sir" once again, and he told me, "Well, maybe if you keep growing to be 6'11, we'll have some more conversations on the phone". I was so excited that I was having an actual conversation with THE Coach K. He also told me he'd like for me to have the chance to come sit behind the Duke bench for a game at Cameron, then told me he'd be glad to meet me the next day at Cameron when the camp was over. After I watched my team play their last game (we went undefeated!) I hopped on a golf cart over to Cameron, went into the Schwartz-Butters building, and Coach K was standing there in the hallway. We shook hands, talked for a little bit, and he talked about how he was glad I didn't have to have surgery on my knee. Then Jon Scheyer and Ryan Kelly walked in, as Jon was working as a coach at the camp, and Ryan just visiting I assume, saying they wanted to meet the "toughest kid at camp". That made my day, and I told Ryan that when I came back from the injury, I would drop 36 in my first game to honor him. They all laughed and then Coach K said he would love for me to come sit courtside behind the Duke bench at one of the games next season and I happily agreed. We all took a picture together, and I headed back home with a cast up to my thigh.
So I guess it was a good trade-off for a broken leg!
pics!
Me on the phone with Coach K: http://i.imgur.com/8wpv7S6.jpg
The team that went 7-0 throughout camp: http://i.imgur.com/AtnLfEO.jpg
The break: http://i.imgur.com/3ykWGaE.jpg
With Scheyer, Kelly, Coach K, and the manager: http://i.imgur.com/HUxsyru.jpg