Five-Point Play: The Story of Duke's Amazing 2000-2001 Championship Season [Hardcover]

Mike Krzyzewski (Author), Donald T. Phillips (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 19, 2001

During the 2000-2001 college basketball year, Coach K guided a very young Duke University basketball team through a turbulent season with many unexpected ups and downs but, eventually won the national championship.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski ("Coach K") is a legend-in-progress. He is respected by his peers, revered by his players, and has become an embodiment of the positive aspects of big-time college sports. A serious back problem a few years ago forced him to sit out a year, providing perspective. He's still a passionate competitor but doesn't measure his success solely in wins and losses. Understanding all that, he's still a helluva basketball coach, as evidenced by last season's national championship with an injury-riddled roster. This is an account of that championship season, with Coach K's insights complemented by those of the players and other coaches. It begins with preseason assessments of the players, noting their physical and mental readiness for the six-month grind ahead. It's fascinating to read Coach K's take on an athlete, then learn the player's perspective, and finally see how it all turned out. Watching how Coach K thinks, the reader gains a tangible understanding of the truism that coaching is more about teaching and counseling than it is about drawing plays on a chalkboard. This is an enriching glimpse into the dynamics of a basketball dynasty that values integrity as much as it does hang time. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (November 19, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446530603
• ISBN-13: 978-0446530606
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #494,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Basketball > College & University

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recipe for Success: On the Court, In Business, and in Life, February 17, 2003

By 

dukeno1 (Short Hills, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Five-Point Play: The Story of Duke's Amazing 2000-2001 Championship Season (Hardcover)

Duke is on TV almost as much as Sponge Bob. I've probably missed five games in twenty-five years (including my time at Duke). After reading this book, I've missed all of them. The behind-the-scenes, locker-room perspective on how Coach K motivates players is powerful and moving. His preparation for each game centers less on the opponent and more on singling out one player on his own team to lift that player's game. His simple, direct message gets through.
"Next Play," "Confidence Breeds Courage," "Collective Responsibility" and other catch-phrases of K's apply not only to basketball but to business and to life.
How many coaches after winning the National Championship would bring their team back into the locker room two days later to remind them that the Lessons of the Fist (for what those are you have to read the book) apply not only to basketball but to life? How many, in the same meeting, would goad their players to excel not only on the basketball court but in the classroom and in life?
This is a book to treasure.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for any Duke Fan!, November 2, 2001

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"rrrango" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five-Point Play: The Story of Duke's Amazing 2000-2001 Championship Season (Hardcover)

Five-Point Play is the perfect companion to the 2000-2001 Basketball Season. I received the book from Amazon two days ago, and managed to read it in just a couple of hours. The book is a blow-by-blow account of how the Blue Devils grew and matured during its championship run. Five-Point Play is written in the same style as the ESPNMAG article that was written from Coach K's perspective.

Although I don't think one has to read "Leading with the Heart" to enjoy this book, I do think that one's enjoyment is definitely elevated by doing so. A lot of what Coach K emphasizes in Five-Point Play has distinct echoes from his previous book. Such important lessons as communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring, etc. are big themes that he re-emphasizes to the team. However, the primary difference is that in this book, Coach K follows the season in chronological order, with descriptions of practices and in-game situations. There are also several quotes from the players, coaches and staff that are inserted during these situations that further illuminate the different perspectives on the team. Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the book describe, in great detail, the team's psyche when Carlos suffered his foot injury and the team's subsequent shift in offensive and defensive strategies. In reality, there was a signifcant amount of doubt that the team would be able to be competitive by practically everyone on the team-- including Coach K! Fortunately, the Duke Blue Devils overcame this obstacle (among many others) and surged towards the National Championship.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Inside Scoop of Duke's Success, November 23, 2002

By 

Sam "dpearson57" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Five-Point Play: The Story of Duke's Amazing 2000-2001 Championship Season (Hardcover)

In Five Point Play, Coach Mike Krzyzewski tries to teach the 2001 Duke basketball team about not only basketball, but life too. By setting examples for the team, Coach shows his players the results of communication, trust, care, responsibility, and pride, the same points that helped them win the national championship. "Coach K" has a crew of talented coaches and players that include Shane Battier, Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and many more. I like the way that Coach Krzyzewski put this book together, by explaining every pep talk, describing every huddle, and giving the details of every game. Although I wouldn't recommend this book to a North Carolina fan, I hope that every other basketball fan gets a chance to read Five Point Play.