Bob Knight’s Indiana Return Sparks Mixed Reaction
Bob Knight’s Indiana return sparked mixed reactions on Saturday afternoon.
Knight had not been back with the Hoosiers in 20 years until this weekend.
When he made his debut after two decades, the crowd at Assembly Hall gave him a standing ovation.
Fans in the stands loudly chanted “Bobby” as the emotional head coach interacted with former players like Isiah Thomas, Mike Woodson and Butch Carter.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and former Purdue men’s basketball coach Gene Keady were also in attendance. The latter coached against Knight, whereas the former is an alum of the school.
Knight was in Indiana this weekend to honor the 1980 Big Ten Champion men’s basketball team at halftime of their outing versus Purdue.
Bury the hatchet. #Knight #IU @WISH_TV pic.twitter.com/korERscvqr
— Charlie Clifford (@cliffWISH8) February 8, 2020
That team went 21-8 and got as high as No. 1 in the AP Poll before ultimately losing in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament.
Saturday marked Knight’s first time back at Indiana since being fired after 29 years at the institution back in September 2000.
Bobby Knight firing ‘em up. #Legendary pic.twitter.com/RNWopMs1p8
— David Walker (@DavidWalkerQB) February 8, 2020
Over the course of his stint with the Hoosiers Knight amassed three championships and also coached the 1984 mens’ Olympic basketball team to a gold medal.
While many were happy to see Knight back at Indiana, some could not help but remember the multiple incidents of aggression and violence that ultimately ended his time there.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
