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Knight: My Story | 
 enlarge | Authors: Bob Knight, Bob Hammel
Creator: Robert Silver
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Category: Book
List Price: $28.00
Buy New: $17.90
You Save: $10.10 (36%)
New (9) Used (4) from $12.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  49 reviews
Sales Rank: 338790
Format: Abridged, Audiobook, Cd
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Abridged
Number Of Items: 5
Pages: 5
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 5.9 x 5.8 x 1
ISBN: 1559277270
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.323092
EAN: 9781559277273
ASIN: 1559277270
Publication Date: March 26, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Audio CD
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
A Season on the Brink—a book about Bob Knight—is the bestselling sports book of all time. Here is the only book that can surpass it—a book about Bob Knight by Bob Knight.In college basketball, the name Bob Knight is synonymous with greatness and winning. Just take a glance at the Knight file. The numbers and achievements that prove what he has done, not only for Indiana University, but for the game itself, are there in black and white. In this riveting memoir, Coach Knight talks about his extraordinary basketball career, addressing both the public triumphs and the highly publicized controversies, often providing his side of the story for the first time. His story begins with the most public and painful event in his life: his front-page dismissal as Indiana University’s basketball coach after 29 years in that position. But the story of Bob Knight is so much more than that. Above all, it is a story about one man’s tremendous success. How did he become the head coach at Army at the age of 24? How did he build a dynasty at Indiana? What principles has he lived by—and coached by—that kept the best players coming to Indiana to play for him?Knight:My Story reveals a very personal and until now unseen part of Bob Knight’s life. His legions of fans will all line up to learn more about him.Bob Knight has shown time and again that he is the most well-known coach in college basketball:• He has won over 700 games (618 with Indiana University)• He has been National Coach of the Year four times• He coached ten Big Ten MVPs• He is the only coach who can boast an NCAA Championship, NIT Title, the Pan American Gold, and the Olympic gold medal• He was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991• He graduated 98% of his players• He maintains a remarkable .737 winning record
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| Customer Reviews: Read 44 more reviews...
Indiana Basketball at its Finest January 4, 2006
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Coach Bob Knight is a colorful figure who ranks among the all- time greats in college basketball. Known by many people all over the nation for his outspoken personality and occasional temper tantrums, Knight has taken advantage of his skill at playing, recruiting, and coaching to reach the apex of his profession at every level through and including college.
When I first heard about this book a couple of years ago, I thought about what I had heard on the news about Bob Knight, what I read in the newspapers, and what different people at Indiana University had said about the legendary coach; including players, assistant coaches, and university personnel. As a natural skeptic when it comes to the media, I was very curious about Knight's perspective on the many controversies that surrounded him and his coaching style during his forty plus years in college basketball. What would Knight say about everything in his book? Would he rant and rave about how unfairly he has been criticized? Would he return the insults to those who have so vocally criticized his personality and style? Or would he take it all with a grain of salt and stick with the positives that he has brought to the game of basketball?
Reading about Bob Knight, and hearing about the controversial events from Knight's own perspective, I have a newfound respect for the man from Bloomington. Not that I didn't have respect before. I did. But this book cements that respect and proves what I had always felt all along: that the media was wrong about many (if not all) of the accusations against Bob Knight and that his dismissal from the head coaching job at Indiana was purely political in nature. There was no good, solid reason(s) to fire Bob Knight. He was a victim of some overzealous individuals at IU who had it in for him and were on a mission to eliminate him from Indiana at any cost.
I really enjoyed the last few chapters of this book, because this is where the controversy comes out. It's interesting to listen as Knight talks about the different accusations against him and how the media and others would over-sensationalize things to increase newspaper sales and/or to try to bring him down. In some instances, Knight admits his guilt. Such is the case in the best- known of all the Knight- related coaching controversies: the infamous "chair tossing" incident discussed in chapter eleven. Knight admits that this particular act was a stupid thing to do on his part. But he also points out that he didn't aim the chair at anyone and no one was hurt. He just let his emotions get the best from him and he overreacted.
With other controversial events, however, Knight isn't so quick to accept responsibility. One event that he is particularly disgusted over is the supposed "choking" of one of his players, Neil Reed. This is most significant because it was this event that led ultimately to his firing. Reed came forward in 1999 and claimed that Knight had physically choked him and this story made headlines all across the United States. If this was true, it would have been justification for some kind of reprimand against the coach. But the truth is, it was total bull. Reed had been voted off of the team by his own teammates (not by Bob Knight) in 1997. He made up this allegation, apparently, to get even. The other players said that there was no choking and a tape that was made when this event supposedly took place showed no evidence of choking at all. This should have brought an end to the controversy, but it did not. It was obvious that Reed, and those in control of the athletic department at IU, made up the whole story to bring him down. The media jumped all over this story, making it sound like Knight really did commit the crime, even though there wasn't the slightest grain of evidence that he did. And even when it was shown to be a bogus charge, the media said nothing about it. They exploited the accusation, but they said nothing about the truth when it came out later- that this story was a total fabrication by a disgruntled player and a tenacious IU athletic department that would stop at nothing to get Knight thrown out of Bloomington.
It was at this point that IU instituted its "zero- tolerance" policy (or as I like to refer to this type of proposal, a "zero intelligence" policy) against coach Knight, warning him that any further problems would lead to his termination. Again, this was obviously a move to get Knight fired. I can remember when this decision was made public. I knew that it was only a matter of time before something happened that would get Knight terminated. Knight also saw it coming, but he was so attached to Indiana University, his players, and the fans, that he decided to ride it out. He was still hopeful that he could continue coaching at this school. But it was only a matter of time until something happened that would bring an end to his coaching career. And it did, a short time later, when a young guy referred to Bob Knight by his last name, prompting Knight to turn and ask him to please refer to him as Mr. Knight or coach Knight. That was all it took to get Knight fired. The young man went directly to the athletic department at IU and told what had happened (the book doesn't make any direct accusations, but it appears there is a good chance that this man planned the whole event, just to get Knight in trouble). After thirty years and three championships, Bob Knight was no longer the coach at IU.
Along with these controversial moments, the remaining sections of the book are also very good. Knight describes his early years and his friendships with other coaches, sports people, and political figures with passion and admiration. He has met and is friends with many sports icons, like Ted Williams, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Bench, and others. He has also been a frequent guest at the White House and has met and formed friendships with many U.S. presidents, like Gerald Ford and George Bush. Knight describes these and other friendships with great feeling and deep trust. This might come as a surprise to those who always assumed that Bob Knight was difficult to get along with. Quite to the contrary, Knight speaks positively about most all of the people who have influenced his life, and they speak positively about him also. On only a few occasions in the book (with people like college basketball referee Ted Valentine) does Knight turn pessimistic and he only does so when someone continuously gets on his case, unprovoked, and won't back down.
I really enjoyed reading about Knight's early days and his influences in the game of basketball. Shaped by these important people, it isn't difficult to understand why Knight got where he has in life and why he is so competitive when it comes to the game of basketball. His family and friends mean the world to Knight, and they have had an unmistakable impact on his life decisions and on his love of the game. It's also interesting to read and discover, in Knight's own words, how differently he is, as a person, on and off the court. While he still tends to be outspoken no matter where he might be, his mannerisms and personal conduct are far more reserved and friendly when he isn't involved in basketball. He comes across as a very down to earth, likable guy who loves to hunt and fish and who is fairly easy to get along with.
Controversy has always surrounded coach Knight. He admits that, at times, his competitive nature and his fired- up emotions did get the best of him. He is not proud of everything he has done on the court, but he has no real regrets either. And regardless of all of the controversy, Knight is a proven winner and he commands (and deserves) a certain amount of respect. He has allowed his love of the game and his relentless desire to win to result in a few misjudgments in his career. But through it all, Bob Knight has been a winner. He has won NCAA championships as both a player and as a coach, reaching levels of success that are the envy of basketball coaches and other sports leaders all over the U.S. and the world. Enthusiasm, sportsmanship, discipline, and other factors are all important elements of the game. But the bottom- line goal is to achieve an honest and well- fought victory.
And winning, as Bob Knight and other successful college basketball coaches know, is the name of the game.
 only for knights when you can't sleep August 19, 2005
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
With Coach Knight's long-time antipathy toward writers, often commenting how simple their job is compared to coaching, he left himself wide-open for criticism with his autobiography. Unfortunately, it reminds me of waking up a hibernating bear and jotting down his every yawn and gripe. A few moments of insight amid the tedium.
 America, America, God shed His grace on thee December 2, 2004
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
I truly believe there is only one way to judge a college basketball coach. League titles, NCAA appearances, total wins, Final Fours and National Championships are the norm in measuring success. And, of course, prowess in these areas will secure the legacy of anyone. However, the way I quantify coaching greatness is much more important than wins and losses. It's something you can't tangibly gauge. Simply stated, it's the relationships he or she cultivates with players. And the loyalty they show after they graduate.
Even his staunchest critics can not deny that Bob Knight is a Hall of Famer in this category.
In "Knight: My Story" Bob Knight writes about the relationships he has developed throughout the years with his former players. One needs to look no further than Landon Turner to realize why the ones he coached are tenacious Bob Knight supporters.
Landon Turner played on Knight's 1981 championship team. Tragically, shortly after, Turner was paralyzed for life in a vehicle accident. Through the efforts of Knight, Red Auerbach selected Landon Turner in the late rounds of the NBA draft. A simple gesture which, Turner says, meant the world to him.
The book is a window into the philosophies of a man who through the yelling, screaming, so called intimidation, language, and perceived sour demeanor, somehow has found the greatest allies in his former players.
Some of Knight's pundits clearly know absolutely nothing about how to coach a basketball team; how to lead young men through a season of intense pressure and adversity. And, they are obviously not bright enough to understand that basketball is a metaphor for life. Knight is preparing boys for manhood. Do you think anyone of them (who gets it) make excuses when their boss asks them do accomplish a task? I think not.
Knight is not a coach of basketball, he's a teacher of life.
You need to look no further than his "eight greatest words", which appear in the first sentence of his book, "America, America, God shed His grace on thee", to realize how deep his character flows.
I've been anticipating book since I was 15 years old. It was worth the wait.
Bob Knight August 28, 2004
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Whether you love him, hate him, or are neutral toward him (I'm in the last category), Bob Knight's book is a fascinating glimpse at his personality, his Indiana basketball teams, and college basketball in general. For Indiana basketball fans (I'm an ACC fan) and college basketball fans in general (a category I fit into), this is a must read. Knight gives a lot of detail about his Indiana teams, especially those that won national championships, and discusses his point of view on the state of college basketball today.
There are really two main topics that run throughout the book - and that is Indiana basketball and the controversies that have surrounded Knight - mostly because of his volatile temper. From a basketball standpoint this is really a great inside look at the college game and the Hoosiers. Knight's detestation of losing and lack of effort are part of what gets him into trouble because he is clearly a disciplinarian and expects a lot from his players and others involved in the program. On the other hand that is also why his teams traditionally have been over achievers. In my opinion, his success in college basketball has been mostly because of his coaching talent and getting his teams to play like a team instead of selfishly.
Even though in some ways Knight claims, and I think in a lot ways rightfully so, that a lot of controversies about his temper and clashes with players, officials, or others is a result of his reputation and are undeserved. Frankly, I do believe him on this account. And he does seem contrite about some incidents that are clearly his own fault where he's lost his temper. Some may argue that he is not apologetic enough or doesn't face his own faults in some of the controversies and I can't disagree with that either. On these issues the reader will have to decide what to believe.
But either way, this is highly readable and very interesting.
One for the ages June 30, 2004
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
What a book. It is filled with info I never really knew. Never an Indiana basketball fam, I was always a Bobby Kight fan. I finished the book in one reading. I could not put it down. His love for fishing and hunting is explained in his book.
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