Family of Indiana Basketball Legend Bob Knight Asks for Prayers and Privacy Amid Illness
Former Indiana Hoosiers coach Bob Knight was released from a hospital in Bloomington, Indiana, and returned home after being admitted with an illness over the weekend, his son said Monday.
“On behalf of the Knight Family, we thank you for your thoughts and prayers. As many have heard, my dad was hospitalized over the weekend with an illness and has since been released from the hospital,” according to a statement from Pat Knight posted online.
“We ask for your privacy as he is cared for and resting at home in good hands.”
An email from the university about Knight’s health was sent to former Indiana basketball players on Friday, asking for prayers and saying Knight hoped to return home soon after being hospitalized with an undisclosed illness.
The university did not have an update on Knight’s condition on Monday.
The 82-year-old Knight won three national championships, 11 Big Ten titles and 662 games at Indiana before being fired in September 2000 after he allegedly grabbed a student by the arm in a hallway.
The incident violated a zero-tolerance policy instituted by the university following an investigation into accusations of physical and verbal abuse made by former player Neil Reed, who died of a heart attack in 2012.
Texas Tech hired Knight in 2001, and he stayed there until retiring in 2008 with a then-Division I record 902 career wins.
Pat Knight succeeded his father at Texas Tech and Bob Knight moved back to Bloomington in 2019.
Then, after vowing never to return to an Indiana University event, he relented on that promise by attending the Hoosiers’ game against Purdue in February 2020, joined by dozens of his former players and former Purdue coach Gene Keady.
Knight has been in poor health for several years but still attended some Hoosiers practices this season, which were led by current coach and former Knight pupil Mike Woodson.
“Coach always taught us, and those that played for him, the importance of fighting through adversity and he and our family thank you for the tremendous amount of support you have shown and given during this time,” Pat Knight wrote.
“We appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers.”
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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