How Many NBA Stars Did Late Legend Bob Knight Coach?

Coach Bob Knight passed away on November 1st at the age of 83. His family announced that he had been hospitalized since April and had been in poor health for several years. The world was left heartbroken after hearing the devastating news of his passing.

The legacy Knight left behind is parallel to none. Before his retirement in 2008, Knight was responsible for coaching some of the best players and coaches on the court. With a 29-year stint coaching the Indiana Hoosiers and a shorter one with the Red Raiders, Knight cemented his legacy in NBA history. Despite his reputation for being one of the more hotheaded actors on the court.

How many NBA stars did the legendary coach Bob Knight mentor?

Popularly known as, ‘The General’, Knight was one of the most legendary coaches known to basketball. He trained and guided numerous NBA stars during their time in college. Even Mike Krzyzewski, also known as ‘Coach K’, was mentored by Coach Knight during his days in the army. He played under the guidance of the General for four seasons before becoming assistant to him at Indiana. 

12-time NBA All Star Isiah Thomas was also coached by him from 1979 to 1981. Despite their initial differences, Thomas grew to be one of Knight’s favorite players and a star athlete at Indiana. Some other NBA stars who played under him are Alan Henderson, Calbert Cheaney, Kent Benson, and Mike Woodson. For a very short period, he even coached Michael Jordan, but even in that short period, Jordan managed to leave an impression on the coach, as both of them secured Olympic gold medals in 1984. 

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The mark that Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Coach K, and many more made in the basketball world, is a testament to Coach Knight’s coaching skills and prowess.

The legacy of Bob Knight

During his career, he won 902 NCAA Division I men’s basketball games, making him one of the best coaches to grace the court. Even years after his retirement, he’s still ranked fifth all-time in terms of wins. During his time in the army, he led the Army Black Knights from 1965 to 1971. Following this, he gained his reputation coaching the Indiana Hoosiers from 1971 to 2000 and the Texas Tech Red Raiders from 2001 to 2008. During his time at Indiana, Knight’s teams achieved immense success as they won three NCAA championships, one NIT championship, and 11 Big Ten Conference championships. Notably, his 1975-76 team had an undefeated regular season and clinched the 1976 NCAA tournament title. 

With his impressive record, he was asked to coach the U.S. men’s Olympic team which, under his guidance, secured the gold medal in 1984, making him one of only three basketball coaches to ever win an NCAA title, an NIT title, and an Olympic gold medal. However, there was also another side of him that made the headlines.

Shortly after his passing, his family announced the news. “It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family. We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored.”

The whole world was left shocked when they received the news, and many legendary figures, including those he coached, shared their thoughts and fond memories of Coach Knight as they remembered the immense legacy left by him.

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