I met coach Bob Knight once at a memorabilia show. I brought a basketball with me for him to sign. Others did as well but they also brought basketball questions they wanted to discuss.
I know he enjoyed each interaction but I could also tell that he was somewhat uninterested or bored. Everyone wanted to talk basketball with him but I expect he didn’t want to talk basketball with everyone.
When I approached him, I quickly pivoted and asked if he’d been to northeast Missouri lately to hunt. I didn’t know how he’d react but he immediately perked up and started sharing with me a story about a recent Missouri hunting trip. I wasn’t telling him a story. He was telling me one.
I don’t remember the story but I remember how it seemed to make him feel. The conversation could have lasted minutes but unfortunately, we were interrupted by the staff hurrying me along.
I told coach Knight that I appreciated him. I expected him to say something like, “Basketball is like hunting, kid - patience, strategy, and the right shot at the right time. That’s how you win.”
But that lesson never surfaced.
Instead, his face broke into a satisfied grin and then faded.
Others were waiting behind me to ask about basketball.
