When Duke legend Coach K showered praise on rival and former UNC HC Dean Smith: "His standard of excellence matches anyone that ever coached the game"

Former North Carolina coach Dean Smith is renowned for his stellar 36-year tenure at the helm of the Tar Heels. Smith reached 11 Final Fours, winning two national championships while molding legends of the game like Michael Jordan.

Smith's tenure as the Tar Heels' coach coincided with that of Duke Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski, with the two battling it out for dominance in the Atlantic Coast Conference and for the nation's best team several times.

In an interview with the Associated Press in 2008, "Coach K" showered praise on Dean Smith despite their heated rivalry during their coaching days.

"I love Dean Smith," Krzyzewski said (via GoDuke). "I'm not saying that (love) was there all the time. I probably understand him better than anyone in the history of the conference. There have been a lot of great coaches and (Smith) is one of them. For him to be there that long and go through that cycle, the changes of only one team making (the NCAA Tournament), the integration of our league.

"He was successful with Michael Jordan, and he was successful with teams that didn't have (James) Worthy and (Sam) Perkins. His standard of excellence matches anyone that ever coached the game. I admire that. You learn a lot from competing against him. Once you get over wanting to beat him, you say, 'This guy is pretty damn good.'"

Dean Smith and Coach K had famous battles

Dean Smith and Coach K famously clashed during the 1989 ACC Tournament championship game, where they exchanged words when their players scrapped on the court.

Coach K had turned the Blue Devils into the elite side on Tobacco Road, taking Duke to the Final Four twice in the past two years and beating the Tar Heels thrice in one year, culminating in the spat between the two legendary coaches.

During his postgame news conference, Coach K took shots at the Tar Heels' coach for badgering the officials during the game.

“There was not a person on our bench who was pointing at officials or banging on the scorers’ table or having everybody running around on their bench," Coach K said. "So let’s get some things straight around here and quit the double standard that sometimes exists in this league. All right?”

The last time that Coach K and Dean Smith coached against each other was in 1997, when the North Carolina Tar Heels beat the Duke Blue Devils 91-85. After the game, the pair shook hands without the animosity of past encounters. Smith retired later that year with a 24-14 record against Coach K.