Mike Krzyzewski on His Mother's Advice
Coach Mike Krzyzewski was one of the luminaries asked to deliver an online commencement speech to the graduating class of 2020 as part of a special iHeart Radio project.
Krzyzewski remembered back to his own graduation, from West Point, and reflected on people who helped influence him.
“One person who stood out was my mom, he said. “My mom had an eighth-grade education. She never went to high school. She was a cleaning lady in downtown Chicago, but she was wise. I remember a couple things she said to me. They’ve been the foundation for me for my whole life. Just before I started high school, and I had to go on a bus—a city bus. The night before, she said, ‘Michael,’ and whenever she said ‘Michael,’ I knew there was something that was very important. (She said) ‘Sit down, Michael. Tomorrow, make sure you’re on the right bus.’ I said, ‘I know my way around the city,’ but she said, ‘That’s not what I’m talking about.’”
“'Tomorrow, you’re going to meet a lot of new people,’” he remembered his mother saying. “’You’re going to start driving your bus. You’re going to drive your bus for your entire life. Make sure that you put good people on your bus. And if you get on someone else’s bus, make sure they’re good people. If they are, then they will help you go to places that you will not be able to go alone.’ She was right. I’ve done that my entire life. Hang with good people. Be with good people. There’s a greater chance of you winning if you’re with good, and obviously, if you’re with exceptional.”
