I once interviewed a member of his first team at Indiana, an all-American who met with Knight shortly after the coach’s arrival in Bloomington. Knight glared at him and said, “I’ve just looked at your transcript. You’re not going to class, you’re not doing your work. If you miss class, you won’t practice. And if you don’t practice, you won’t play. If that’s too tough for you, I’ll help you transfer to some place where they don’t give a damn.”
The all-American called his father in a panic, only to find that his dad was thrilled. “Thank God,” he said, “now you’ve got a chance in life.”
I have a good friend who played for Knight in the 70s. He will defend the guy to the death. Good enough for me.
Yep, for all the negative press Knight gets, Knight really cares about the success of his kids, not just in basketball but in life. And you know when you watch a Kight-team play, you will see well played game. It is unfortunate that he lets his temper get in the way.