Updated: October 23, 2012, 7:07 am ET

Krzyzewski Filling Void in LeBron’s Life

By HOOPSWORLD
Basketball News & NBA Rumors

When Dwyane Wade was struggling during the playoffs last season against Indiana, he sought personal advice from someone he had trusted for a long time.

During an off day, he drove 50 miles south in search of that person. There, at the Indiana University in Bloomington, Wade met with Hoosiers’ coach Tom Crean — Wade’s college coach from their days at Marquette.

LeBron James never had that sort of relationship with a college coach because, well, he never went to college.

Mike Krzyzewski, who has won four national championships in four decades at Duke, has seemingly stepped in to fill that void.

Krzyzewski and James started to get to know each other once Krzyzewski took over coaching duties for Team USA in 2005. James was part of Coach K’s first Team USA experience, when the team finished third at the World Championships in 2006 — setting the stage for a gold medal performance at Beijing in 2008. James and Krzyzewski won gold for the second time this past summer in London.

James and Krzyzewski have stayed in contact over the years, with James’ crediting Coach K for helping him mature into a vocal leader with Team USA.

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