Would you send your kid to play basketball under Bobby Knight?
Knight's disciplinarian mindset failed to attract local Indiana high school phenoms such as Shawn Kemp and Zach Randolph in a state where playing in Assembly Hall is a childhood dream. Top athletes simply refused to play for a madman and submit themselves to four years of brutality.
In the modern basketball landscape, players do not have to put up with that sort of physical or psychological abuse. Despite his coaching legacy, there are countless other coaches these days that can teach today's youth the game without leaving strangle marks around their necks.
Bobby Knight's name is synonymous with greatness. His accomplishments far outnumber the mistakes he has made out of passion. His numbers speak for themselves and his integrity by not recruiting in the wrong way is very admirable especially in this day and age. If you have a son ready to leave home for work or school, you will not be there to protect or take care of him. If your child were good enough to play division 1 basketball you would want someone to take care of them in your absence. To that parent Bobby Knight represents everything you would want in a person shaping your son's early adult life.
Interesting juxtaposition. I'm with him.
Knight always said he was preparing the kids for life, but he was fond of studying the campaigns of great generals. He often seemed to be like a drill sergeant getting his players ready for some kind of war, not a career of selling insurance or cars.
Comments
Being a Purdue guy, I still have the utmost respect for Bob Knight, you can not deny him his accomplishments on the court, or his graduation rates, and believe that firing Knight was the biggest mistake IU ever made - that was the end of IU's elite status in basketball.
The good news is that Texans love him and he fits right in down there.
Not if you talk to the people who actually live in Texas, ...
I have and they love him.
You might try not being so presumptuous mr. morris.
One of the problems with college ball these days is its becoming too much like the nba - too much focus on showboat players and playing street ball rather than the well planned, orchestrated and unselfish play that Knight espoused. Thats why so many seem to have a problem with knight. There are very few coaches save coach K and a small handfull of others that still play real college ball.
Look at all the former Knight players that went on to coach, play in the pros or otherwise went into very productive careers - I would put his record on this up against any other coach
Sorry, Boggle, I'm not presuming anything - I have to agree with my older brother on this, Knight was and still is a bully. And, also not presuming, I live in Texas and the majority of the people you talk to down here (since I DO live here) think the same way - a crazy man and a bully.
As there is a fine line between madness and genius, the same can be said with motivation and bullying.
(you may quote me)
Ask any D.I.
;)
B.G.
Well I guess Texas must be just like Indiana - people either love Knight or hate him here too.
I travel to Texas regularly and the majority of the people I talke to and work with love the guy.
So your assertions mean nothing to me - we clearly associate in completely different circles.
"we clearly associate in completely different circles", gee, why doesn't that surprise me ?
This is one of the very few times I have ever agreed with Leo Morris on anything. Bob Knight is not worthy of the title "Coach". I base this on what I have seen and heard of his actions with my own eyes and ears, not the opinions of others-especially sportswriters. Yes, he has run clean programs, and graduated his players. My God, that's what he's supposed to do! He is hardly unique in those areas.
No one can ever tell me it takes being an a**hole like Knight is required to win basketball games. Most of the I.U. fans I know -as opposed to Knight fans posing as I.U. fans -were thrilled and delighted when the axe fell belately on this classic bully.
It seems that if Shawn and Zach would have played for Bobby, they may have become better citizens. They do not inspire Hoosier pride. Tough love works.