Noblesse oblige.

Two words seem a preposterous start. Two words, French at that, to begin unveiling basketball’s most famous active coach, a hard-boiled, military-trained CEO addicted to the privileges, rewards and burdens of leadership.

Noblesse oblige. Nobility obliges.

A priest turns the phrase regarding Mike Krzyzewski, and the theme echoes from former players, a business-school professor and in the experience of a visiting cancer patient.

Indeed, Krzyzewski himself voices the sentiment as he reflects on his 30 seasons at Duke and explains why, at age 63 and with every accolade possible, he maintains a withering pace that continues at this week’s ACC tournament, where his Blue Devils are the top seeds.

“It’s one of the reasons I keep coaching,” Krzyzewski says, “because … I love to be able to have an influence, a positive influence. And I don’t care if anyone knows about it.

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The CEO Roundtable on Cancer salutes Mike Krzyzewski, who on Saturday, February 13th will celebrate his 1000th game leading the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team. Tomorrow afternoon’s game at 1 pm against the University of Maryland will mark an amazing achievement only seven other coaches in the history of the game have done at a single school. Beginning in 1980, Coach K’s career at Duke has been nothing short of incredible, including leading the school to 294 wins from 2000-09 – the most in the history of the game by any school in any decade.

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Coach K recently appeared on the Jim Rome Show on ESPN. You can view the interview from the January 15 show on YouTube.

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