Coach K talks Team USA, Kyrie Irving’s evolution on Basketball and Beyond

On Tuesday, June 28, SiriusXM College Sports Nation host Mike Krzyzewski will be joined by his former point guard at Duke and recently crowned NBA champ, Kyrie Irving on his show.

Krzyzewski, the head coach of the U.S. men’s national team since 2005, will be making his final coaching appearance in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has led the team to gold medal finishes at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. He is also the coach of the Duke University men’s basketball team and hosts a weekly SiriusXM show, Basketball and Beyond with Coach K. During this special edition of Basketball and Beyond, Coach took the time to discuss his legacy and the honor that comes with working being named an Olympian:

The roster for the U.S. men’s basketball team was announced on Monday:

Meet the 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team

Roster: https://t.co/SVpGiA5Dxl#UNITE #RoadToRio #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/hcg1tqPUOX

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) June 27, 2016

While a number of stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry declined their invitation to rest and recover from injuries, most of the players have some experience playing at the international level in the FIBA Championships. Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony are the only holdovers from the 2012 Olympic team.

“We’re very pleased, we think we have a very strong team and we’re gonna have some fun with this group,” U.S.A. Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo said on Monday’s edition of The Starting Lineup.

While this roster is definitely lacking in big-name recognition, it’s definitely well-constructed with a great balance of offensive firepower and defensive prowess. My early prediction for the starting lineup would be Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan. With players like Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Harrison Barnes off the bench, U.S.A. can tinker with a more defensive lineup. The backcourt rotation of Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry will be able to ignite the offense. This team will also have a bit more attitude than we’re used to seeing, especially if Green and DeMarcus Cousins are on the floor together at any point.

Even without the star-power, this team should still be considered the favorite to win gold in Rio. Particularly with Kyrie Irving running the show from the 1. Irving sat down with his former coach to discuss his evolving game, what it means to be an Olympian and, oh yes, THAT shot in Game 7 against the Warriors.

Check out more NBA and Olympic basketball coverage on SiriusXM NBA Radio (Ch. 86).