“It was tragic”: Coach K talks about Bobby Hurley’s “horrific” accident that affected his NBA career

Bobby Hurley was in Durham for the exhibition game against Duke on Sunday and coach Mike Krzyzewski took a trip down memory lane. Hurley played for the Blue Devils from 1989 to 1993 and was crucial for the 1991 and 1992 NCAA championship wins.

After his successful run at Duke, Bobby Hurley was picked seventh in the 1993 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. He was predicted to lead the team to the top. However, all plans ceased when he sustained significant injuries from a car crash in December 1993.

While driving back after the game, Hurley, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered life-threatening injuries following an accident where his SUV had an accident with a station wagon, resulting in him being thrown off his vehicle.

"It was tragic that he got that horrific accident because I think the way he played it hurt him, obviously. I think he would have become an outstanding NBA player too, but I'm glad he's coaching. I guess that's in their genes," Coack K said(02:51).

At the same time, Coach K gave Bobby Hurley his flowers and named him one of the best players he had coached.

"Bobby was one of the greatest college basketball players ever, not just at Duke," Krzyzewski said. "I absolutely loved coaching Bobby. I played point guard and coached him like I wished I was him and he had the most freedom because he was instinctively terrific and we hardly ran any plays. When he brought that ball up, something good was going to happen."

From someone who was a consensus first-team All-America (1993), Hurley couldn't match his ceiling in the NBA, and the accident may have played a part in it.

Coach K endorses Bobby Hurley in recruitment

After his NBA career ended in 1998, Bobby Hurley turned his attention to coaching. Hurley joined Buffalo's coaching staff in 2013 after serving as an assistant coach at Wagner and Rhode Island for several years.

Two years later, Bibby Hurley moved to Arizona State and has stayed with the team since. He led the Devils to an MAC tournament champion (2015) in his first year. The team has also made three NCAA Tournament appearances in his time.

Coach Krzyzewski praised Bobby Hurley's coaching and endorsed him in recruitment talks.

"The main thing with him is follow his heart and follow his instincts," Krzyzewski said. "Are you kidding me, just like as a player he had incredible instincts, kids should want to play for him because he's done it.

"None of them are as good as who he was and they may not know that. He was a special player. One, he's got talent. Two, he's got the fight. Three, he prepares. There's four, five and six. You could keep going. He's got it all."

Arizona State is ranked No. 9 in the 2024 recruiting rankings, with two five-star commitments. They lost the charity game against Duke 103-47 and will face Idaho State on November 5.