Robert M. "Bob" Knight's Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech

Pete Newell introduces Robert M. "Bob" Knight as he delivers his speech upon being enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 1991. To learn more about Robert M. "Bob" Knight take a look at his official Hall of Fame bio at www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famer...

[@raymondschratz6668]

Classy coach with real values, insight and discipline… RIP

[@edwardmcmanus7496]

Kids, especially today, at all levels of sports desperately need a coach, mentor, disciplinarian like Coach Knight. The behavior of youngsters today all too often is without good sportsmanship and respect for the game. Thanks Coach Knight for guiding the players you've coached to be better citizens.

[@Awesomeknight7]

Pete Newell and Bobby Knight! Two of the best ever!

[@McAfee6684]

RIP! Greatest coach of all time!

[@tom87pate]

Bob Knight is a living legend.

[@williammials6080]

He is a living IDIOT....

[@stevejones6535]

@@williammials6080 and your ignorant that don’t know shit about basketball

[@adamdorgant9454]

Agreed!!!

[@adamdorgant9454]

@@stevejones6535 True!!!

[@stevejones6535]

Bob knight is the best college coach ever period

[@shawnbeck2303]

Bob Knight. The G.O.A.T. Thanks, Bobby. For the great memories! SHAWN

[@williammials6080]

Laughable

[@tedjordan7567]

1991? Why does this look like 1968?

[@phill8005]

What an amazing coach and man.

[@adamdorgant9454]

You’re right about that!!!!

[@bobjames5264]

His assistants upon hearing him sing their praises had to be like, “HUH??? Where’d THAT come from???” 😆

[@DickPowell-iv3lz]

Coach Knight did what their parents did not do make the accountable. Not an easy job but it made them better in so many ways.

[@denisesills3111]

Commander knight get it. Front line hell for a good ending. What can you say !!!!???

[@williamfrawley1175]

My favorite coach of all time. I can't even watch basketball anymore.

[@aaronrider4051]

I feel the same way.

[@williammials6080]

Who Cares! Then don't.....

[@ntg128]

Thanks Matt, I didn't know that.

[@adamdorgant9454]

Great Speech!!!

[@davidallen1108]

Bobby Knight is the greatest coach to ever coach anything. Period.

[@williammials6080]

Go back on the meds!

[@davidallen1108]

@@williammials6080 you obviously know nothing about basketball

[@williammials6080]

@@davidallen1108 And you obviously need your medication increased if you think this "NUT CASE" is the greatest coach ever!

[@davidallen1108]

@@williammials6080 ok well you obviously are clueless

[@williammials6080]

@@davidallen1108 And You? Go to the Nut House and buy a clue from the Nut Case Knight! There is a good reason he's not seen anymore! Take one guess?

[@stantyner9296]

GOAT😷

[@williammials6080]

NOT

[@STsixx]

um... not really. he didn't scare anyone away, some players just weren't meant for his style.. that's not a fail, that's being true to who you are.

[@drh2098]

Being gay is true to who you are.

[@tedjordan7567]

You’re right not everyone was okay getting choked and head butted.

[@johnmatzye6633]

He was tough - but fair. He lets his players know first-hand - just because you could play basketball - the world does not own you a darn thing. Athletes not rising the National Athen - not only will he order you off the team - but the campus as well.

[@sully3292]

Haven't read a single book or article that have touched on this subject, have you?

[@johnmayes761]

Kids today do not know how good john havelichk was the man scored over 26 thousand with no 3 point line if he played with a 3 point line he would of scored over 30 thousands

[@liberalmadness7248]

The 3 point shot has ruined basketball. Everything for the past 20 years is just dribble dribble 3. The big man is completely irrelevant now!

[@williammials6080]

He is not relevant here! Sure he was great though...

[@turtle19dad]

Just to see him in Indiana, I think my first words would be WELCOME HOME COACH! Now we bleed Crean and Crimson! GO BIG RED! RETURN TO GLORY Lets get our kicks for number 6!!!!

[@mwalburn12]

Howd this work out?...

[@jasonkeith9317]

@@mwalburn12 not too good.

[@williammials6080]

Ha Ha Ha Ha

[@saunders317]

Larry Bird wasn't comfortable at a big school like IU, it wasn't that he didn't like Bob Knight.

[@samshetty8820]

That's true I also felt that coming from Warsaw Indiana

[@williammials6080]

He would have been my reason for not going....

[@mariepavlov2425]

@@samshetty8820, make it French Lick, Indiana.

[@adamdorgant9454]

@@mariepavlov2425 Yes, now that you mentioned it!!!

[@williammials6080]

You sure?

[@hoopsheavenpa]

I hope Bob Knight buries the hatchet and returns to IU. I don't see it happening but I hope for it. Tom Crean would totally embrace him and Assembly Hall would rock like it never rocked before.

[@ledzeppelin5647]

He finally did!

[@gregoryphillips3969]

He just did return to IU and it was glorious. Coach Knight is deserving of every possible coaching accolade. To do what he did with the level of talent he attracted in my mind makes him the greatest college basketball ball coach. People speak highly of John Wooden which they should. What's not commonly known is that John Wooden was at UCLA for around 16 or 17 years before he won a championship. And he only started winning once a man named Sam Gilbert starting hanging around the program spending money and doing whatever it took to get the best players to come to UCLA. People don't realize that after Wooden retired the UCLA program was put on probation for several recruiting violations. John Wooden was a good coach but other things have to be taken into consideration. Bobby Knight got the Indiana Hoosier coaching job in the early 1970's and by 1976 won a national championship going 32 - 0 with maybe the best college basketball team for 1 year in the history of the sport. Coach Knight never had any NCAA violations attached to his program and had a 98% graduation rate. Yes, in my mind he's the greatest college basketball coach of all time.

[@drh2098]

Gregory Phillips Hard to argue with that logic.

[@mariepavlov2425]

@@gregoryphillips3969, that was until a fellow named Coach K came along.

[@gregoryphillips3969]

@@mariepavlov2425 There's an argument for coach K that can be made. Coach K year in and year out probably had more talented players to coach. The 1987 lndiana national championship team clinches it for me. At least 4 out the 5 Syracuse starters went on to play in the NBA. Maybe Keith Smart for Indiana. No way John Wooden even gets that 1987 Indiana team to the championship game let alone win. I don't know if Coack K does either. Remember Bob Knight won alot of college basketball games at Army as a young coach. He had Army in post season tournaments. Very few people know how great of an accomplishment that is. I'll take Bobby Knight. If Larry Bird would have gone to Indiana University Knight would have probably had at least 1 or 2 more championships.

[@CH-nl3oo]

98% graduation rate?

[@tdcninja4143]

Yes. 98% of every IU basketball player who played all 4 years for Knight graduated. The other 2 graduated after 4 years.

[@McAfee6684]

Steve Alford needs to go back to IU

[@ronniejenkins4056]

He was tuff but if I went to college for ball yeah my ass would of Been here. And that would of Been in Calvert day. Hoosier for life

[@williammials6080]

He was NUTS

[@layla-bw4xu]

Legend

[@williammials6080]

NOT

[@dennisjones1941]

didnt bring up isiash thomas SAD

[@timdusen830]

Ask Isiah Thomas' mother about coach Knight. Period

[@williammials6080]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[@schradog01]

She liked him

[@duhtoff]

Are you all right camera guy?

[@rogercobbs4297]

Now I bout had enough of this you either are going to block or you take you ass and go home now I mean it

[@randydubin7118]

Roger Cobbs ...???....

[@rogercobbs4297]

don't remember I was thinking thought of coach but what I'm referring to I don't know, been awhile since I put comment lol

[@ronniejenkins4056]

Don,t worry Hoosiers all the way

[@charlesbromberick4247]

Bobby knight threw chairs

[@yourpropheticnews7030]

charles bromberick and ?

[@mattdaggett3695]

Then you must be weak

[@charlesbromberick4247]

@@mattdaggett3695 dah

[@mattdaggett3695]

@@charlesbromberick4247 or dumb

[@charlesbromberick4247]

@@mattdaggett3695 I´m not dumb, Matt, in fact I was second in my class at Trump Univ.

[@thenbalovesdp]

Throughout that speech, did Coach Knight even thank anybody?

[@RovingRoy]

He acknowledged many people who helped him along the way without directly saying "Thank you."

[@rickywarner7444]

At Coach Knight's induction, count the number of names he mentioned...his coaches and mentors, players, specific teams of his. Those are thanks. (This was "Bob Knight's" induction into the HOF, he was humble and thankful on that...his night).

[@rickywarner7444]

Pay attention, watch/listen again. He was gracious, non-abrasive... showing a side of himself that answers the question, "why would anyone let their son play for him?" A step further, and more importantly in the big picture...why would anyone not want that? Refer to all former players who completed their degree...which is supposed to be the final tally. My grandfather taught me early..."if you can't play with the big dogs in the yard, best keep your ass on the porch." I believe that's a life lesson all should be aware of, and know it's true. We all know, life is competition...some too late. IU student athletes knew that before they were cast adrift in the competitive game called "life." (All things being equal, he could have broken out a scroll and named those who tried to impede this lesson, or transferred (ran away) to escape the reality of his teachings. If we could put each side on a scale...there would be no match.

[@yourpropheticnews7030]

DP30 the players and his staff and the whole thing was a tribute to even his office staff. What’s your deal ?

[@williammials6080]

Probably Not! He is not made that way! Total JERK!

[@reggaefan2700]

Yeah right.

[@UnleashTheGreen]

bobby knight taught respect....too bad he never learned any himself.

[@aaronrider4051]

Shut up!

[@chuckinhouston9952]

Highly ignorant comment, son.

[@jimzanios3260]

You didn’t know him in private. Very gentle and encouraging.

[@williammials6080]

A "NUT" case!

[@chrislamport4801]

The all Time Greatest Coach in College Basketball was John Wooden, Bobby Knight was no where near the Coach John Wooden was period!!!

[@murphystreet]

Wooden was a cheater. Knight wasn’t.

[@williammials6080]

He was Crazy and is more so today!

[@josephubil]

This a video of Bob Knight being enshrined in the BB HOF...not signing a John Wooden kumbaya campfire song...so, whats your malcontent point? Dislike? Hatred? Jealousy? Grow up.

[@adiracquetball]

I've read multiple books on John Wooden. I loved Wooden as a coach and used a lot of his techniques when coaching. That being said I have a ton of respect for Knight as a coach. I thought he was a brilliant coach. He contended for titles for years with not the greatest talent. When he had great talent he won and won championships. If you looked at the accomplishments of his players in the NBA only Isaiah Thomas really was a top flight pro. Wooden had some real studs that were all time greats. How do you quantify who was better? I know I could say that Wooden was probably a better recruiter but I don't know if anyone coached x's and o's better than Robert Montgomery Knight.

[@josephubil]

@@adiracquetball As a junior in high school, I and three other players on our team went to the Pocono Mountains(PA) basketball camp, run by Coach Knight when he was the head coach at Army...On the first morning addressing the camp in a small hot airplaine hanger type of gym, coach told all of us to get up from our chairs and get in the defensive position & shuffle our our legs up and down...this went on for what seemed like an eternity as he pushed us to keep at it...finally he had us stop...all of us were physically drained, but somehow we got through it...he then said to us "if you think your folks sent you here to go on a summer vacation, you're sadly mistaken"(and that was putting it mildly to what he actually said)...still to this day, I'm both sore & exhausted...I came back home having learned tons of basketball, but most importnatly the meaning of discipline, dedication to work ethic & perserverance...traits instilled in me to this day... I wouldn't trade that weeks experience for anything, period...thank you Coach Bob Knight.