Legendary college basketball coach Bobby Knight passed away on November 1. The 83-year-old became a sporting icon with the Indiana Hoosiers, leading the team for almost three decades and winning three NCAA titles.
On and off the court, Knight was known for his unpredictable temperament, swinging from kind and supportive to cruel, reportedly leaving those around him on edge.
However, in recent years, it's Knight's friendship with Donald Trump that has caused controversy. In 2016, the sportsman endorsed the business mogul during his presidential run, with the pair connecting through a mutual friend.
"I just told him I thought that we needed him," Knight told Time Magazine in 2016.
"That right now, in this moment in time, he was the man who should be in charge. He should be the guy that can get us back to where we want to be."
'Everybody Has a Failure'
Their first conversation took place over the phone, with Trump reportedly telling Knight: "Coach, I know exactly how I want you involved. And when the time comes, I will give you a call and we'll go from there."
Knight's support helped Trump to land the Republican nomination. Despite being fired by Indiana University Bloomington in 2000 for "uncivil, defiant and unacceptable" behavior, Knight was still highly respected in the basketball-obsessed state. His endorsement helped Trump close the Indiana primary, a pivotal move in securing the nomination.
As a history and government major at Ohio State University in the 1960s, Knight was always interested in politics. He told Time that he had never come across a candidate like Trump, and saw the real-estate magnate as a "kindred spirit." During the interview, he praised Trump's business success and his time on The Apprentice.
"You think of the things that are necessary for getting something back together and going in the right direction, you tell me who's better to do it than he is?" he said.
When Time reporter Sean Gregory asked for Knight's opinion on Trump's multiple bankruptcies, he replied: "Everybody has a failure."
"He looks at things, and everything isn't going to go right. But he's pretty good at looking at things and deciding what has to be done, and then getting it done."
'I Don't Understand the Wall'
However, Knight did not agree with everything Trump said or did on the campaign trail. The pair did not see eye-to-eye on the former president's proposed border wall with Mexico.
"But really the one thing, the one thing I just can't understand is... Well, he's just got to stop talking about this f****** wall," Knight reportedly told a group of Trump volunteers and staffers in 2016.
"I go everywhere, all over the country. And people tell me 'Donald Trump is awesome but I don't understand the wall."
'A Great Defender of the United States of America'
In 2018, Knight joined Trump once again on the campaign trail for the midterm elections. The former coach led the crowd as they chanted "Go get 'em" at Trump and referred to the then-president as "a great defender of the United States of America."
Trump lavished praise on Knight in return, calling him a "a tough cookie" and describing their friendship as a "great romance."
Trump Pays Tribute to 'Incredible' Bobby Knight
After news of Knight's passing broke, Trump took to the social network Truth Social to pay tribute to his friend.
"The World just lost an incredible person, the Great Bobby Knight," the 77-year-old wrote.
"He was not just an award-winning and record-breaking coach. He was loyal to his Players, to his State, and to our Country. Tough as nails, but a big heart."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
