Breaking Bread: Jim Boeheim Humbled By Opportunity To Eat Pasta Near LeBron, Kobe

Some may remember the 2012 London Olympics for Michael Phelps' medals or Usian Bolt's amazing performance or McKayla's disappointment.

Me? I'll remember it as the month or so when Jim Boeheim regaled us with tales of the many shops of London, pointed out the name of the massive river that runs through London just in case we were confused about which one he meant, taught us about Mary Somebody and then visited her tower, marveled at London's true attractions, her shopping malls and graveyards and wondered aloud why they named buildings what they named them.

It was a true learning experience for all of us and with Team USA's gold medal win over Spain, it all comes to an end.

It’s over now.

Harrumph.

It’s been a tremendous honor and I’m very grateful for the opportunity. To have my family here with me in London? To watch these guys, up close, play at this level? To eat dinner in the same room with guys like LeBron and Kobe? It’s almost an indescribable feeling. I don’t think people can possibly realize how much we coaches and players want to be a part of this.

Winning gold is one thing, but eating a Red Robin hamburger just ten feet from LeBron James...THAT is the true honor (He's a King, after all).

And if you ask me, this proves that there’s more to life than money. So many of the other athletes here in all of the other sports get paid, and then they get paid some more if they win medals.

Now, I know our guys make a lot of money in the NBA. But they didn’t get paid to be here. They did what they did because it means so much to them.

Good thing Dwyane Wade didn't make the trip, then...

Some of the offense we use at Syracuse is stuff from Mike D’Antoni (another of Mike Krzyzewski’s assistants). Some of our defensive stuff we do is based on stuff I’ve learned because of this. There’s no question I’m better off for having been a part of Team USA.

Kidding aside...interesting. Yeah, I guess that's true given all that transition offense.

...I’m done. Mike Krzyzewski says he’s done. Kobe Bryant says he’s done. And I’m saying this is it for me. But this is a good way to go out. It’s been great. It’s been a great run. But five straight summers, giving up 40 days each is enough. Two hundred days over five years is enough. It’s time for somebody else to experience what I’ve been allowed to experience.

The world's greatest tourist attractions (malls, hotel lobbies, wax museums) will never be experience in the same way again.

I never did make it to Buckingham Palace as I’d hoped. The family went, but I missed it. I guess that means I’ll have to get back to London in the future.

There is hope...