On Wednesday, Bobby Knight handed away, the legendary faculty basketball coach being eulogized far and broad for his influence on the sport. A kind of voices remembered the person was that of Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson.
Whereas Johnson by no means performed for Knight, he remembered a time in highschool when the coach was making an attempt to recruit him to Indiana. It was a recruiting go to that Johnson mentioned made waves all through the college.
Johnson, who graduated from Everett Excessive Faculty (Lansing, Michigan) in 1977, remembers Knight approaching a recruiting journey in 1976. Knight had simply coached his staff to a 32-0 file and the NCAA Match title that spring.
By no means wanting swagger, Knight’s arrival on campus created buzz.
Relaxation in peace to Corridor of Fame basketball coach Bobby Knight! I keep in mind when he got here to recruit me at Everett Excessive Faculty proper after they went 32-0 and gained the Nationwide Championship in 1976. All 1200 college students skipped class that day as a result of they wished to catch a glimpse of the…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 2, 2023
After all, Johnson didn’t decide Indiana, as a substitute taking his magical expertise to Michigan State. It labored out fairly nicely for Johnson, profitable the NCAA Match in 1979.
Knight gained three NCAA championships with Indiana. He then went to Texas Tech the place he constructed up the Pink Raiders right into a nationally acknowledged program.
In his seven full seasons in Lubbock, he took Texas Tech to the NCAA Match 4 occasions.
Lifetime, Knight had 902 wins.