The Duke men's basketball team's winning streak continued Tuesday as the rain held off for a Durham community celebration of the team and its recent NCAA championship.
Around 500 local residents, holding signs and waving banners and blue and white pompoms, filled the central pavilion at the American Tobacco Campus. "Having a national championship team in Durham means more than you can imagine," said Shelly Green of the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Durham Mayor William Bell and county commission Chair Michael Page praised the team for how well it represented Duke and by extension Durham. "It's not just about the basketball," Bell said. "We have seen how you present yourself in the media and in the public, and it makes us proud."
Men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski enjoyed the opportunity to relax, having been on the road since the NCAA title. He said his family had fallen in love with the city.
"When Mickie and I came to Duke 35 years ago, we knew we were coming to a great university," he said. "We didn't know how good Durham would be."
Krzyzewski said he always thought the current team was "special" and talked about some of the ways it surprised him. He singled out Quinn Cook, the lone senior starter on the team, for providing great leadership on a team where the freshmen were the standouts.
"Nobody has done that better in my 35 years at Duke, to go from that spot as a junior to what he did this season," Coach K said. "The whole team was a joy to coach. They had my back the whole time."
The celebration began with a rousing performance from the Duke Pep Band and cheerleaders.
Photos by Chris Hildreth/Duke Photography
