Legendary IU coach Bob Knight honored by Naismith Hall of Fame
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WISH) — This past weekend, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame held its annual enshrinement ceremony.
In fact, Pacers Sports & Entertainment Chairman and Owner Herb Simon was part of the event, as he was officially enshrined into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2024.
He was not the only basketball legend with ties to Indiana though who was recognized by the Hall of Fame this past weekend.
Former Indiana University men’s basketball head coach Bob Knight was honored with a bench dedication.
Knight, who won three national championships during his time at IU, passed away in Nov. 2023 at the age of 83.
He was head coach of the Hoosiers for 29 seasons. Overall, he was a college basketball head coach for 42 seasons, collecting over 900 career wins.
Current IU head coach Mike Woodson attended the bench dedication ceremony, along with Knight’s son Pat Knight, who is the current head coach for the Marian University men’s basketball program. IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson, plus IU Athletics Hall of Famers Quinn Buckner, Scott May and Dr. Larry Rink, and IU alum Steve Ferguson, also attended the dedication, according to an Indiana basketball news release. (See photo above.)
The official Indiana men’s basketball X account shared the following image of the bench that honors Knight:
Knight was a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee in the Class of 1991.
Knight’s bench now means that the legendary coach is part of the Naismith Coaches Circle Program, which “honors the first coach, Dr. James Naismith and pays tribute to the core values he taught – Teamwork, Cooperation, Leadership, Perseverance, and Integrity,” according to the program’s website.
One of the goals of the program is to “have a way to preserve the personal history of the Coaches and share these stories for future generations.”
Two-time NBA champion Chuck Daly and Nancy Lieberman, former player and coach, were also honored with bench dedications this past weekend.