My last sighting of Bob Knight provided a jarring reminder that time is undefeated. It was Feb. 8, 2020, and the stooped figure who shuffled haltingly into Assembly Hall bore scant resemblance to the intimidating icon I watched rule that basketball stronghold with an iron fist and molten temper.
Of all the feelings Knight sent surging through people over the course of decades, pity was never one of them. Until that day. The end was not at hand, but it was in sight.
Knight was 79 years old then, finally wooed back to Indiana University by his adoring former players. They had cajoled him into making peace with the school that fired him 20 years earlier. They wanted this moment for their old coach and for the fan base to show their appreciation for each other. They pushed for it to happen before it was too late, sensing the mutual need for catharsis and closure.
