Fanatics

NFLShop.com - Customized NFL Gear

Monday, February 11, 2008

ESPN Feature on Bobby Knight and a few personal items

When Bobby Knight abruptly resigned from his Texas Tech coaching position earlier this week, a number of writers penned their personal experiences with the controversial coach.

Most wrote of Knight trying to intimidate them in some fashion while others wrote about the fact that Knight would frequently pick and choose the particular reporters he was willing to speak with, even though other legitimate reporters, such as Lenn Robbins of the New York Post, were seeking access for basic stories on the Indiana University basketball team.

Knight lived by the 'my way or the highway' adage. He surrounded himself with the people he trusted and he avoided all others. He manipulated the facts to his own advantage in every instance until Myles Brand took him down at IU after an alleged incident with a student where Knight was accused of man-handling the student by the arm or elbow after the student had called him by using only his last name.

***

I have only one personal story on Knight and it came from the first I met him face-to-face. It was also the last time I dealt with him, thank God.

We were helping USA Basketball prepare the 1984 USA Men's Olympic basketball team by staging a series of exhibition games where the USA would tune-up against various teams of NBA stars. The first game of the series was in Providence, Rhode Island and I was the only NBA rep at the game.

As is often the case in mid-summer games, whether they are high level games like an Olympic prep or an easy-going, fun summer charity game, the rosters are tossed together with players who are within short travel distance to the site. Many a player showed up without basketball shoes, etc, as they were on vacation and just flew or drove to Providence on short notice. So, were were throwing the team together at the last minute, to say the least. If I remember correctly, I think Cleveland Cavaliers guard John Bagley (a BC grad) was actually trying on my sneakers to see if he could play in them, although I wore a size 11 and he wore a 12 or 13.

So anyway, when everything settled down and we sorted out the team, I walked down the corridor to let the USA Basketball officials know we were pretty much set and all of the normal game operations and warm-ups could begin, as scheduled. I chatted with Bill Wall of USA Basketball and started to walk back out to the corridor from the USA locker.

I turned the corner and there was Knight.

I put my hand out to shake his hand, which he readily accepted. I smiled, and said, "Coach, my name is Terry and I am here with the NBA to help out with our team today. Just want to let you know, if there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

Knight dead-panned back: "If I need any help from you, we're in real, big trouble."

I turned and walked away and have never uttered a word to the guy since, not that he would even care, of course.

***

A few other Knight items that I want to pass along to blog readers.

I do not care about Bobby Knight. I haven't thought about him for one second since the guy went to Texas Tech, other than to root against his team if I happen to watch a game. I was very happy when my St. John's Redmen gave Indiana a serious ass-kickin' in the 1999 NCAA regional. Here is the story from that game, played March 13, 1999:

Bootsy Thornton and Ron Artest combined to score 18 points in a 6:05 span bridging the halves when third-seeded St. John's pulled away and crushed Indiana, 86-61, in a second-round NCAA Tournament contest in the South Region (Orlando).
The 25-point loss was the worst defeat in Indiana's 75-game NCAA Tournament history, surpassing an 80-62 setback to Colorado in the first round in 1997. The Red Storm's biggest win came in the first round Thursday, 69-43 over Samford.


***

I really thought Knight crossed the line when he made a scapegoat out of Rance Pugmire at an NCAA tournament press conference. You've all seen the 'lowlight' played every time Knight created controversy. (Knight, at the NCAA podium, looking to the side, and stating, "Did anyone from Indiana tell you..." blah, blah, blow-hard.

***

So with that, I pass along the greatest feature ever produced by ESPN, that being today's Sunday SportsCenter piece by Jeremy Schaap:


No comments: