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Thursday, September 18, 2025

Lunch with Basketball Legend Coach Bob Knight

Share and add value for readers. Artificial intelligence (AI), has no emotional context (yet) and readily acknowledges potential for error. This launches "Lunch with the Coach" series. 

You: Thanks for joining me for lunch, Coach Knight. Could you start by sharing your overarching basketball philosophy?

Bob Knight: [leans back, matter-of-fact] Basketball isn’t complicated. It’s about preparation, discipline, and doing the fundamentals better than the other guy. Everybody wants to talk about the big plays, the highlight dunks. That’s fine for television, but games are won because five players can pass, cut, screen, and defend as one. I always said: play hard, play smart, play together. If you get those three right, you’re tough to beat.

You: That emphasis on discipline defined your Indiana teams. How did you get players to buy into it?

Bob Knight: I recruited kids who loved the game, who wanted to be coached. I didn’t promise them easy minutes or stardom—I promised them that if they listened, worked, and played unselfishly, they’d be better than when they walked in the door. Some kids fight that. The ones who embraced it? They grew.

You: Was there a moment you felt your approach clicked most?

Bob Knight: The 1976 team. Undefeated. You don’t do that without everyone pulling the same direction every single day. No shortcuts. No exceptions. We weren’t the most talented team in America, but we were the most connected.

You: What about today’s game? Would your philosophy still hold?

Bob Knight: Fundamentals don’t go out of style. Shooting, passing, spacing, defense—those matter whether you’re running motion offense or spread pick-and-roll. The game changes, sure, but the foundation doesn’t. If a coach today ignores that, he’s building a house on sand. 

You: If you could do it over again, are there things you’d do differently?

Bob Knight: [pauses, looks down at the table] Sure. Anyone who says otherwise isn’t honest. I was demanding—sometimes too demanding. I pushed hard because I believed the game and life required it. Could I have handled some moments with more patience? Absolutely. But I’d never change my core principles. Preparation, discipline, and teamwork—those were right then, and they’re right now.

You: Today’s players live in a different basketball world—one-and-done, transfer portal, NIL deals. Would your approach work?

Bob Knight: Fundamentals never expire. Shooting, passing, defending—those win games in 1976 and they win in 2025. If a coach ignores that, he’s building on sand. The challenge now is getting players to see that improvement over time matters more than instant gratification.

You: Coach, what do you consider your greatest strengths as a coach?

Bob Knight: Organization and teaching. I treated basketball practice like a classroom. Every drill had a purpose, every minute was accounted for. I wasn’t rolling the balls out and hoping talent carried us. My job was to teach—spacing, movement, angles, decision-making.

I’d also say preparation. We never went into a game without knowing what we wanted to do and what the other team wanted to do. If we lost, it wasn’t because we got surprised—it was because we didn’t execute.

And maybe one more thing—demanding the best. I expected players to give maximum effort because anything less cheats the team. Some people called that harsh. I called it accountability.

You: Coach, if you could go back in time and credit those who helped you become successful, whom would you recognize?

Bob Knight: First off, my high school coach in Orrville, Ohio—those were the roots. He gave me a foundation and an appreciation for doing things the right way.

Then Fred Taylor at Ohio State. Playing for him taught me what a disciplined program looked like. We had Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek, and a culture where everyone understood their role. That stuck with me.

And I’ll tell you, my early years at West Point shaped me as much as anything. The cadets there weren’t just athletes—they were future leaders. Coaching at West Point taught me how to demand discipline while respecting the person.

I’d also credit my assistants and players over the years. You don’t win games alone. Steve Downing, Quinn Buckner, Scott May—guys like that not only played well but bought into what we were building. And my assistants were teachers in their own right.

You: Coach, how would you advise coaches to improve and to keep improving?

Bob Knight: Never stop being a student. Too many coaches think once they get the whistle, they’ve got the answers. The truth is, you’re always learning. Watch film, study other coaches, steal good ideas and throw out the bad.

Second, pay attention to teaching. If your players don’t understand what you’re saying, that’s on you, not them. Simplify, clarify, repeat. A coach who can’t teach isn’t worth much.

And third, evaluate yourself honestly. After practice, I’d ask, “Did I waste time today? Did I get across what mattered?” Improvement starts with admitting where you fell short.

Finally, surround yourself with people who’ll tell you the truth. Assistants, mentors, even players—if they’re afraid to speak up, you’ll get blind spots. And blind spots will beat you.

Lagniappe. End-of-game play. 

Lagniappe 2. Coach Ouse teaches "Zoom" action. 
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