Bob Knight walking away from college basketball cannot be understated.  After over 45 years and 900 victories, The General, as he is known, quietly and with little notice, stopped coaching basketball.  A polarizing figure and a lighting rod for controversy, Knight never shyed away from any challenge, never met a player he couldn’t coach, and never denied the fact that winning was important.  But more importantly, Bob Knight never stopped making boys become men.

A thrown chair, a whip, a head-butt, and even a choke has never turned my loyalty away from one of the greatest icons in sports.  Those incidents are what we will remember the most about Knight, and that is fine.  And while never playing for the man, or even knowing anyone who has, Bob Knight changed college basketball for thousands of boys who later became men.  If Bob Knight talked, people listened.  If Bob Knight coached, players learned.  And when Bob Knight retired yesterday, everyone knows we lost a great man away from college basketball. 

Mike Golic from ESPN said the one question about Bob Knight that you need to answer is “would you want your child to play for him?”  For me the answer is absolutely yes!  Not that I have kids, but if I did, I would send my son AND my daughter into the care of Bob Knight.  I know they would come out of it better than they went in.  And that’s what “The General” did … he led, and people followed.

College basketball will not be the same after today.  I just hope the end of Bob Knight’s coaching career doesn’t end his legacy.  His passion is unbridled and unmatched.  I will forever miss his press conferences with the media … for those were just damn outright funny!

Posted on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 at 3:44 pm.
Categories: 1300 News.
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