COMING HOME

Like many, yesterday was a day that I wasn’t sure would ever take place. Since September 10th, 2000 I personally had held out hope that he would someday make his way back to Bloomington, the place he once cherished as much as hundreds of thousands of fans still do. But if I’m being honest, with each passing year, although my hope didn’t diminish, my belief that he would did until recently.

Coach Knight doing speaking engagements in Indiana. Coach Knight being on campus for a baseball game. Coach Knight moving back to Bloomington. Reports that he had been on campus a number of times without any public fanfare. His presence at the Blue Bird for the @HoosierHystrcs live podcast a couple of months ago sealed the deal for me. The only way he wouldn’t someday walk back onto the floor at Assembly Hall would only be due to his health. As I sat in the very first row that day I could see it in his eyes that he loved us as much as we loved him.

So many people had expressed their displeasure with his refusing to return to a place where he was, and still is, revered. Some even said they had moved on and couldn’t care less if he ever set foot back on the Branch McCracken Court he roamed the sidelines of for almost 30 years. Some were even downright hateful in the things they said about him, and the situation. Yet I promise you, a lot of those from all three of those groups felt something yesterday. A lot of them, although they probably won’t admit it, shed a tear or two as well.

I personally have never felt anything but admiration for the man. Did I like and agree with everything that he did, or how he handled every situation? No, absolutely not. But I don’t think he did either after the fact. But the man won basketball games. He didn’t cheat. He demanded that kids go to class. He loved the game, he loved his players, and he loved Indiana University. Why he was fired doesn’t matter anymore. The things that happened don’t matter anymore. None of it can ever be changed. A lot of healing took place yesterday, and I feel like it was something that all parties involved needed. Closure is a good thing.

I, for the past few years have had the incredible honor and privilege of covering Indiana Basketball as a member of the media. Before that I had attended more games in Assembly Hall than I can remember. Obviously, there are a lot of games from my time in that incredible building that I will always remember. Yesterday is one of those games. Unfortunately it won’t be because of the game itself. No, instead it will be because for the entire extended halftime all was right in my world. The being down nine points at the break left my mind as soon as the horn sounded ending the lackluster first half by the Hoosiers.

As the anticipation grew with each former player being introduced and walking out of that tunnel once more, my eyes started to well up with tears. Those players were who I grew up watching and idolizing. They were on my TV. They ran out of that tunnel with their Candy Stripes on when I was lucky enough to be attendance. They were everything that I wanted to be. Yesterday they were back home and I was a kid again. It was a beautiful thing seeing them all standing on that floor again, and reminiscing. It was even more beautiful seeing that they had the same look of excitement and joy that their coach, OUR coach, had finally returned “home” and would be emerging from that very same tunnel one more time.

The fans on the West side of the building were able to catch the first glimpse of Robert Montgomery Knight as he made the turn in the tunnel while being flanked by Steve Green, Scott May, Quinn Buckner, and his son, Pat Knight. As the roar grew from that side of Assembly Hall faster than coach Knights health will allow him to move, everyone rose to their feet. Phones were also raised awaiting the opportunity to capture a picture or a video to forever commemorate this unbelievable moment in Indiana University history. And make no mistake about it, this was history being made. Wounds were being healed. Hatchets were being buried. Indiana basketball was whole again.

As tears rolled down my cheeks I rose to my feet from my press seat and watched in awe. Sniffles and eye wiping could be seen and heard all around. “The General” turned towards the band and smiled while raising his hands acknowledging them. All his former players either cried, or fought back tears while applauding. The cheers and chants from the crowd were loud. The clapping not so much due to the phones being held up. For old and young alike, it was a moment frozen in time. The hugs, the tears, and the smiles that those former players greeted him with at center court were what Indiana Basketball is all about, and it was due to what the very man everyone in attendance was honoring had instilled.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and if that is in fact true, then I think the picture above says everything there is to say about how much this meant to Coach Knight. It wasn’t just for him. It wasn’t just for the fans. It wasn’t just for the former players. It wasn’t just for the university. It was for ALL of Hoosier Nation…past, present, and future!

Seeing the arguably the greatest basketball mind ever slowed by his health, but yet still able summon up the ability to chant defense while pumping his fist towards the crowd was beyond any words that I can come up with to describe it. It was elating, yet chilling at the same time. I’ve been lucky enough to be present for some pretty special moments in Assembly Hall. A couple of examples being, on 3/4/1993 I watched Calbert Cheaney break the Big10’s all-time scoring record. I was also present when Christian Watford hit the shot that beat Kentucky on 12/10/2011. Those two, and all of the others were special, very special, but in their own way. Yesterday was special in EVERY way.

I’m not sure if it was the last time he will ever be in Assembly Hall or not. I would like to think, or maybe it’s just hope that I have, that maybe he will one day sit in The Spirit of ‘76 Club seats and take in a game. But if that never materializes, no one can ever take away what yesterday meant to so many. The love that was shown on that floor, and in those stands, is something that should not be taken lightly. It possibly meant more, to more people, than arguably any single thing in Indiana Basketball history. It took 7,090 days to happen, but happen it did. Coach Knight was home. Coach Knight was finally home.