VIDEO: Bob Knight Makes His Long-Awaited Return to Indiana
By Liam McKeone
Bob Knight hasn't been to an Indiana basketball game in 20 years. He had a prolific tenure as the Hoosiers' head coach, but things ended rather poorly after Knight was fired in 2000. Knight didn't miss an opportunity to criticize IU administration in the years since his departure, and many believed a reunion of any type would never happen.
Yet here we are. Knight was honored on Saturday at Assembly Hall with the 1980 Indiana basketball team that won the Big 10 championship that season. Check it out:
You can always go home again. ??
— Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) February 8, 2020
Gulp. @IndianaMBB welcomes Bob Knight home. pic.twitter.com/l98aIDO6Ya
Bob Knight receives a standing ovation in his long-awaited return to Assembly Hall ?
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 8, 2020
(via @BigTenNetwork)pic.twitter.com/PfhVeQMoWJ
I know a lot of people didnt like Bob Knight when he was coaching. But he was a brilliant coach, who never broke the rules and had an incredible career. Glad he got his moment at Assembly Hall with many of his former players pic.twitter.com/QZQxcHIdxt
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) February 8, 2020
Bob Knight leading the IU crowd in chants of "DEFENSE!" because of course. So cool. pic.twitter.com/k2hFmmiWol
— Kyle Boone (@Kyle__Boone) February 8, 2020
Bob Knight still had some intensity in him. ? pic.twitter.com/Cjhrql1Ar9
— Indiana On BTN (@IndianaOnBTN) February 8, 2020
An emotional Bob Knight takes a moment before he leaves the court. He mouths “thank you” to a fan. pic.twitter.com/VxUksYN3z2
— Olivia Ray (@OliviaRayWISH) February 8, 2020
Knight is the most successful Indiana coach in history. He went 662-239 in his nearly 30 years as head coach there, winning three national titles in that span.
While he had more than his fair share of controversies, his success makes him an important figure in IU basketball history, even if he's not necessarily the most beloved. But time heals all wounds, as the saying goes, and it seems both Knight and the administration decided to put the past behind them, resulting in this moment.