Former IU Basketball Player Steve Alford Shares Memories about Bob Knight | B1G Today

#ncaabasketball
#indianahoosiers
Former IU Basketball Player Steve Alford shares memories of Bob Knight.
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[@admiralseabass8993]

Like Steve Alford, I lament a lost era that we will never get back. Steve's emotions here show how larger than life Coach Knight was, and how special that era was in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

[@mikebradshaw6484]

Thank God we'll never get a time like that back. Guys like Knight took the fun out of sports. We had a couple of coaches like that in our baseball league and they just tore into their players even when they won. It wasn't pretty to watch.

[@joemeehan9329]

I live in Bloomington, and this is truly a sad day. Coach Knight was larger than life. This interview with an IU legend shows the love, respect and reverence he deserves, and is shared throughout the Indiana Basketball family. For all of his public faults, and there were many, Bob Knight touched the lives of his players and so many others he came in contact with during his storied career. We will never see a coach like him again. RIP RMK.

[@douglascarlson9006]

I was there when it all started ... my first year as a student in Bloomington was Knight's 2nd year as coach ... I was a gym rat and I played pickup games with guys from that undefeated '76 team ... I knew a few players who also told me stories about Knight ... Having said that, CBS should have booked an interview with ME because the eulogies I've heard in the past 24 have all been mush ...

[@Eagleyes0988]

Being in Lafayette and being a Hoosier I just loved to hate on Purdue and still do. I felt IU basketball died in 2000

[@rickrhodes4105]

Amen

[@Firstand25toLife]

Steve Alford is an Indiana hero and my all time favorite indiana player.

[@dabneyoffermein595]

He was amazing. Alford and Cheaney , my two favs

[@cherzum]

Steve was my all time favorite IU player as well.

[@mountcomfort740]

Go IU

[@randalljohnson8293]

Steve Alford is a Indiana Basketball legend. His father Sam Alford was a Indiana High school Basketball coaching legend. How fitting they and coach Knights paths would cross! Turned out a NCAA National Championship! 1987. And I would be alive to follow it all! thank you Lord! Thanks Steve, Coach Knight for all the wonderful memories! Basketball Legends!

[@jdg62269]

Steve, there are probably just as many people who admire you as much as they admire Coach Knight. Thank you for such a poignant interview. Take care buddy. We'll see him again one day, which I'm sure you already know.

[@reginaldtisdale8907]

None better than Coach Knight and Steve Alford!!

[@THEYTHINKTHEYAREGODS]

Never gonna be another Bobby Knight

[@Crackers2549]

Great interview... Loved coach Knight.... Love Indiana and Steve too....RIP Coach Knight

[@justingriffith735]

Here close to Bloomington, I grew up a massive Indiana and Coach Knight fan! I too went to his camp and met him! I also went to Steve's camp two yrs in a row.

[@marshalltomey8297]

I don’t know if Steve will get to see this, but I like to think Bob is up above watching us with the other great coaches of Indiana. Make no mistake about it Steve, you turned out to be a great coach and a man of God. Hold your head high brother!!!

[@rebeccavoodoo2191]

My favorite College Basketball 🏀 Coach he was a voracious fearless relentless competitor was meticulously impeccably prepared to compete. God Bless rest in peace

[@rickydavis4343]

A very touching interview.. great memories we’ll always have . During those Knight days , couldn’t wait to get home and watch I.U. Basketball. And our hearts go out to our high school classmate Steve . ( RickyDs and Angie Fairchild Davis) we love ya all bro . Isaiah 41:10. I love it Steve when ya share your heart.🙏😢proud of you .

[@joeseddit]

Nice job, Dave Revsine. Always ready for any random occasion. And handles it like the pro that he is.

[@tamilickteig2795]

Great interview. As a fellow Hoosier who grew up in that time, he did Coach justice doing his best to explain who the man really was. God Bless Steve!

[@kirkrehm9972]

From a lifelong Purdue fan, my condolences. While I can't say I liked the man, I certainly respected him. RIP, Coach...

[@popeye3305]

I remember listening to IU games on the radio prior to all of them being televised locally on channel 4. I had a little basketball hoop in my bedroom and would be shooting baskets while listening. That little boy in me will never forget coach Knight, and what he did for basketball in the state of Indiana. A huge part of Indiana basketball and my childhood died when Coach passed away. Basketball in Indiana was more than just a game here, we lived it, it was in our blood. Thanks Coach for being such a huge part of my childhood.

[@lutherodaniels3799]

Man, Coach Alford is tough. He held it together but I’m sure he cried when it was over.

[@rebeccavoodoo2191]

Steve Alford I saw you as a player evolve as a Coach it was absolutely attributed to Coach Bobby Knight

[@bobke114]

Coach Knight is held in high esteem by his former players and those who were part of the program...Thats all that matters at the end of the day. They knew him best

[@HoosierGirl-1015]

Thanks Big10 Network. Nice memories.

[@angellosmalefakis1321]

Steve is a legend in Indiana basketball and coach Knight was a legend in Indiana. Wow! Thanks for the memories with Landon and White. Wow!

[@joeseddit]

12:48- Aside from a bit of narcissism, that was always my take on Knight. No way for me to verify because I'm just a fan, but it seemed to me that if you made it through his program, you had an influential friend for life. The loyalty between Knight and his former players -both ways- was noticeable. I think Alford's emotions during this interview speaks to that. Great segment.

[@daviddennison1787]

As a Hoosier and growing up just north of Bloomington in the small town of Monrovia, home of Branch McCracken.... I lived Indiana basketball! I was in the super dome in New Orleans when Keith Smart hit the last shot to win the 1987 ncaa championship. I was and have been to many many more games the ones under Knight were probably the most memorable and fun. Thanks Steve Alford for your part and rest in peace Bob Knight.

[@Romans219]

Being from Terre Haute, Indiana Bobby Knight will always be my favorite basketball coach. I had basketball coaches and football coaches just like Bobby Knight and it made me mentally and physically tough as well as very self disciplined and how important it is to do the important things like play defense, set screens as well as playing a role to win and respect my teammates and try to make them better.😊

[@mpmikeb1290]

Steve is all-time great!!

[@stevengray8663]

Damn feeling Steve's emotions!

[@cheyenneasiafoxe292]

the emotion of his former players is so beautiful.

[@JohnSammons-r2o]

Thank u Steve ❤

[@MeNtaL_kAse428]

Thank you for sharing the basic traita that made Coach a fantastic teacher..

[@peteshallcross787]

As an Illinois native, loved the Indiana team with Alford. Watching Smart's championship jumper was a big thrill for me and my friends. Also loved the calmer side of Knight when watching him on The Fishing Hole with host Jerry McGinnis. RIP coach, hope you made the list!

[@michaelclark1341]

Very nice interview and discussion about the legacy of Coach Knight. Steve Alford gets a bad rap. He cares. Learned some of that from Coach.

[@ChristinaH811]

Such a great interview. I wholeheartedly feel all of this and agree. I never had the opportunity to meet Coach Knight, but I know he was a great man. Thank you, Steve, for doing this interview and sharing with us! I know this time is hard for you. Praying for you, all Coach's former players, all of IU, and all of Coach's family. ❤🙏🏻

[@Energyfl00d]

13:16 I saw this first hand. I remember he used to eat at the salad bar of a local grocery store (Marsh). I saw him there maybe three different times but on one occasion he had a long table put together and he sat at the end. Sitting all around the table were these very old war veterans that he had bought lunch for. A lot of them appeared to be in wheel chairs.

[@darkzeus28]

Excellent

[@selinatilaver7821]

Marsh did have great salads and a great salad bar!

[@Pazzi-y3k]

Congratulations 🎊 Steve for loving Coach Knight

[@fritzruffin8054]

I loved watching Steve play ball .RIP RMK

[@ericcole8447]

Steve Alfred class act all the way around . RIP Bobby I loved to watch u coach my favorite coaches were the ones that coached me hard.

[@JB6Lights]

Steve will always be my favourite basketball player.

[@jamesyman007]

Steve is a class act for sure.

[@McAfee6684]

RIP Coach. My father was just like him. Was a great man! Go back to IU Steve.

[@michaels_madness]

My dad used to play pick up with Steve, I've heard so many stories about this legend.. RIP coach Knight.

[@ronaldschoolcraft8654]

I doubt that you remember me, but I played on a fourth grade "Biddy-Ball" team in Martinsville with you, Steve. Our games were played at Poston Road Elementary. You said that you don't know how good you were in third grade, but I can certainly say you were good in fourth grade. I was angry when your dad left to go to New Castle. The 1974-1975 season with Jerry Sichting, Ken Mask, Bill Cramer, Dan Rhoden, M. C. Johnson, and others was special. Your dad left after that.

[@stevebriner750]

Got damn, this is gonna hurt for along time. We miss and love ya coach. RIH RMK

[@jotac87278]

If you were to know nothing else about Coach Knight, just listen to how his players talk about him. There will never be another! RIP Coach Knight

[@RandyHembree]

I grew up in the Bob Knight era. I would have loved to have been good enough to play for him.

[@Pazzi-y3k]

Bob Knight is in heaven

[@sylviafoster9093]

'Beautiful interview'

[@Atomykpimp]

Alford didn’t get the IU job because of what he pulled up in Iowa. Also thank you Steve for going to Dallas and not The Pacers! Instead opting for some kid from UCLA named Reggie! R.I.P. Coach Knight. You are truly the Greatest!

[@The_Real_RG3]

What he pulled at Iowa?

[@rebeccavoodoo2191]

Steve Alford a Class Human Beinf

[@thomaspaine374]

It's worth noting that Indiana hasn't won a national championship since Knight's departure.

[@michaelpacak3401]

Steve Alford is Indiana Basketball, left it all on the court, a lot of players wouldn't have taken the verbal abuse, Alford was a different player, period!

[@elizabethdepalma9371]

❤❤❤

[@The_Real_RG3]

I wished this man would have became head coach at IU. He never would take it.

[@PthaloGreen2]

Knight was a mixed bag, like all of us. Though they probably should have fired him before they did, he was undeniably a sort of genius. May he-finally-rest in peace.

[@dabneyoffermein595]

He was loyal to Indiana, they should have been loyal to him. At IU he took lower wages for many years, and at Texas Tech, he gave back his salary one year because he sucked at coaching.

[@PthaloGreen2]

@@dabneyoffermein595 he was at IU for 29 years! That's nearly a lifetime. Look I'm from Indiana. He got many chances to fix his behavior. He didn't. If Indiana wasn't a small state with an insecurity complex that swoned over Knight because he made choosers feel like "winners", I suspect he would have been gone far sooner. But you simply cannot grab players by the throat and hurl large objects across public arenas in rage and indefinitely maintain your position as the most vaunted person in Indiana government. That sets a bad example, to put it mildly. And he was there for 29 years.

[@dabneyoffermein595]

@@PthaloGreen2 He strategically grabbed the lightweight chair and calculatingly threw it over where the cheerleaders simply reached out and grabbed it, never coming anywhere near hitting anyone. It was just a statement-throw and a damn good statement. And the choking PPPPFFFFFTTTTT, soft, he moved Reed away with the hand to the neck but never grabbed with a squeezing motion whatsoever. Choking is when you restrict air-flow, never happened. Ron Felling is a joke but he's probably your hero.

[@PthaloGreen2]

@@dabneyoffermein595 Okay, so he didn't restrict air flow. Thank God, or he might have been charged with attempted murder! Nevertheless, the State of Indiana was not paying him to assault and threaten young men, and what he did was not how it should be done. If he would have stopped at heaving the chair, he would have been forgiven. Alas, that was only strike one. I don't know who Ron Felling is. Bob Knight was a kind of genius. He was not a god, and that's okay. IMHO, we can respect him for all he was without pretending he was perfection incarnate. Interestingly, I never really followed IU basketball closely. Tales of Knight's excesses turned me off. I actually crossed the line to attend Michigan State back when magic was there. After a hiatus, I now follow MSU hoops closely again. I nearly idolize Tom Izzo, who seemed to have much of Knight's prowess, but with more steadiness. Izzo has a temper too, but I don't think I'll ever see him toss a cheat or crab thrusts. If I do, I'll be very sad. Look, these coaches are under INCREDIBLE amounts of stress. Almost no one can do what they do, not even the lower level coaches. That's why they are paid so much money. At the highest levels, basketball coaches are role models and state icons as much (or more) than basketball strategists. That's why they must be held to higher standards than mere mortals. I wish Knight had not been so bitter for so long about being pushed away from IU. He was a proud man, but I think he would have made even more fans had he accepted sooner that IU had no choice but to part ways with him as it did. I was a bit surprised to see that Coach Knight passed away in Bloomington. I'm glad he did finally return to Indiana in his later years. He was a legendary person-flawed, as we all are-but never to be forgotten. I hope that eventually, he was able to accept his humanity and that he found some peace, despite his final battle with Alzheimer's disease, which is a horrible disease.

[@gregjohnston9287]

Alford was an arrogant narcissist at Iowa.

[@rshrsh5420]

If you want to read a informative book it's older and out of print, order Playing For Knight -My Six Seasons With Coach Knight, it details Steve Alfords life up to his career at Indiana. It's a GREAT read!

[@lutherodaniels3799]

That was the Midwest offense. Every HS school ran that.

[@jasonclouse9023]

Wish he would coach the Hoosiers. Woodson not cutting it.

[@silverstar4289]

That first trip to final four meant they won the Big Ten championship . You had to win your conference to go to the NCAA.

[@dabneyoffermein595]

Wow, this is so tough, yesterday and today (Wed. Thurs. Nov. 1st & 2nd, 2023). Why did we have to lose him?

[@michaelknapp8961]

I have to l admit that I wasn’t the biggest Bobby Knight fan. Apparently there were many many sides to him as a human being. All I saw were the antics and the negative stuff but there were other positives that I never saw. He was a complicated person.

[@ray6659]

Alford should have stayed at UNM (Univ of New Mexico), he would have won a NCAA championship with them.

[@kirkrehm9972]

Ok

[@The_Real_RG3]

😂😂😂😂

[@doctornamelisted4280]

Always thought Alford should have been given a chance to coach IU

[@ChristinaH811]

Same!

[@stephenstrang590]

Let's all be honest there is no former player of coach k who would be openly emotional, but we will see.

[@The_Real_RG3]

Don’t call him coach K. It’s Coach Knight.

[@brendagray9601]

@@The_Real_RG3 🤦🏽

[@Pazzi-y3k]

The people that didn’t understand Bob Knight didn’t play for him

[@charlespowell5847]

Love it when coaches physically abuse their players and fans love him because he won games. Sad how priorities change in sports 😂

[@gregjohnston9287]

Steve Alford was an arrogant narcissist at Iowa.

[@The_Real_RG3]

Yeah?

[@brentj.peterson6070]

He was a bully

[@chuckinhouston9952]

Ignorant, son.