News
Bob Knight, Indiana’s Combustible Coaching Giant, Dies At Age 83
BLOOMFIELD, Ind. – Bob Knight, the brilliant and volatile coach who won three NCAA championships at Indiana and was the scowling face of collegiate basketball for many years, has died. He was 83.
On Wednesday night, Knight’s family made the revelation on social media. He was hospitalized in April due to an illness and had been in poor health for several years.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family,” the statement said. “We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored.”
Knight was one of the sport’s most successful and divisive coaches, concluding his career with 902 victories in 42 seasons at Army, Indiana, and Texas Tech while training some of America’s top coaches. He also coached the United States Olympic team to gold in 1984.
The Hall of Famer didn’t care what others thought of him and chose Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” to celebrate his 880th win in 2007, which was then a Division I men’s basketball record.
He was dubbed “The General,” and his fiery temper cost him his job in Indiana in 2000. He was accused of hitting a police officer in Puerto Rico, throwing a chair across the court, and wrapping his hands around a player’s neck.
His actions were widely condemned, but his supporters were numerous. There was another side to Knight: he was proud of his players’ great graduation rates, and even during a rule-breaking era, he was never accused of a serious NCAA violation.
He insisted at Indiana that his base wage not be higher than that of other academics. He used to give up his salary at Texas Tech because he didn’t believe he deserved it.
Bob Knight, Indiana’s Combustible Coaching Giant, Dies At Age 83
On and off the court, Knight expected his players to outperform their peers. He followed NCAA standards even when he disagreed with them, never backed down from a fight, and swore to take his old-school values to the grave.
While many of his players adored him, his demeanor and antics occasionally masked his tremendous record, tactical understanding, invention, and passion for the game, leaving behind a one-of-a-kind resume.
“He changed basketball in this state, the way you compete, the way you win,” said Steve Alford, the coach of Knight’s final national championship squad in 1987. “It started in Indiana, but he changed college basketball forever.” Look at the motion offense; it was employed everywhere.”
Long admired his approach and frequently questioned his methods. Knight delighted in building his best teams with overachievers. He adhered to iron beliefs as a difficult-to-please motivator, and at 6-foot-5, he was an imposing figure for anyone who dared to cross him.
Knight retired in 2008 with four national championships (one as a player at Ohio State) and the Division I men’s win record. From Mike Krzyzewski to Isiah Thomas to Michael Jordan, he coached them all. Among others in his coaching tree wered Krzyzewski, who shattered Knight’s win record; Alford; Lawrence Frank, Keith Smart, Randy Wittman, and Mike Woodson, Indiana’s current coach.
Bob Knight, Indiana’s Combustible Coaching Giant, Dies At Age 83
“We lost one of the greatest coaches in the history of basketball today,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “He was clearly one of a kind. He hired me, coached me, mentored me, and had a significant impact on my career and life. This is a huge loss for our sport, and our family is devastated.”
Robert Montgomery Knight was born in Massillon, Ohio, on October 25, 1940. His mother was a schoolteacher, and his father worked for the railway, which Knight cited as his early influence.
Hazel Knight appeared to grasp her son’s personality. When Indiana was scheduled to play Kentucky on television, two of Knight’s high school classmates approached her in a grocery store and inquired if she was enthusiastic about the game, according to his memoir, “Knight: My Story.”
“I just hope he behaves,” said his mother.
He attended Ohio State and was a reserve on three Final Four teams (1960-62). He was a member of the 1960 championship team that included future Hall of Famers Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek.
Knight joined the Tates Locke staff at West Point after a year as a high school assistant. At 24, he took over as head coach in 1965. His teams won 102 games in six seasons, coaching the likes of Krzyzewski and Mike Silliman, and he was off to Indiana in 1971.
Knight swiftly revived the Hoosiers’ basketball tradition with a novel offense and a defense that was almost entirely man-to-man. Most opponents struggled against his early Indiana teams, which went 125-20 and won four Big Ten Conference championships in his first five seasons.
Bob Knight, Indiana’s Combustible Coaching Giant, Dies At Age 83
Indiana won their first national championship in 23 years at the end of the run. That 32-0 club in 1975-76 ended a two-year streak in which the Hoosiers were 63-1 and won back-to-back Big Ten championships with 18-0 records. It is still the last time a major collegiate men’s team finished undefeated. In 2013, the US Basketball Writers Association named that team the greatest in college basketball history.
“One of the things he said to our 1976 team, which I was fortunate enough to be a part of, was that you may never see another team like this again,” said Quinn Buckner, chair of the Indiana Board of Trustees. “Well, I don’t know that we will ever see another coach like him again.”
Knight won his second championship in 1981, defeating Dean Smith’s North Carolina team after NCAA officials opted to play the game hours after President Ronald Reagan was shot and injured earlier that day. Smart won his third title at Indiana in 1987, when he beat Syracuse with a baseline jumper in the last seconds, one of the most iconic shots in tournament history.
Knight also appeared in Adam Sandler’s 2003 film “Anger Management” as a cameo. In 2006, he appeared on ESPN’s “Knight School,” a reality show where 16 Texas Tech students competed to walk on to his squad the following season.
Knight, who frequently yelled at reporters, joined ESPN as a guest studio commentator during the 2008 NCAA Tournament a month after leaving Tech. He expanded his job as a color commentator the following season. Knight left the network in 2015.
He returned to public prominence in 2016, campaigning for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and maintained a fairly low profile until returning to the school where he became a household name and the state where his death was revealed in retail stores Wednesday night.
“I was standing there, and he was coach Knight,” Wittman recalled Knight’s pregame speech in February 2020. “It was as if he had never left that locker room.” His comments to the players before they stepped out on the pitch were fantastic.”
Karen, his wife, and their sons Tim and Pat are survivors.
SOURCE – (AP)
News
Canadian Man Arrested for TikTok Video That Threatened Trudeau
A TikTok video that went live earlier this week has led to a Toronto man facing charges of threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Andrew Marshall, 61, is facing two counts of uttering threats.
On Friday afternoon, the Ontario Court of Justice granted him bail with a surety and restrictions after the RCMP charged him on Wednesday.
Following Monday’s upload to TikTok, CBC Toronto conducted its own independent investigation of the video. Marshall vehemently opposes what he perceives as restrictions on free expression in Canada in it.
“I get them taken down all the time— I make videos — or all my comments, that are just simple comments,” Marsh says in the TikTok. “It’s just getting ridiculous, Marshall said.”
According to the CBC more and more people are threatening politicians. The commissioner of the RCMP has hinted that further measures may be necessary to ensure their safety.
In the TikTok video, Marshall explains in great detail how he would brutally assassinate Trudeau and Freeland “if it was up to him.”
Marshall attacks multiple groups throughout the roughly 11-minute TikTok video, including the media, Muslims, migrants, and the police who defend the government.
Among Marshall’s bail terms are the following: he must not communicate with Trudeau or Freeland; he must not use the internet to make social media posts or comments; he must not own any weapons; and he must not apply for a firearms permit.
During the bail hearing, the prosecution provided all of the evidence that is often not published.
Nate Jackson, Marshall’s attorney, stressed his client’s liberties and privileges as a Canadian in an email message.
“He has the right to freedom of speech, the right to reasonable bail and the right to a fair trial,” he said. “Having secured his release from custody, we will continue to defend Mr. Marshall’s Charter rights as his case proceeds.”
Neither Freeland’s nor the prime minister’s office would comment on the allegations, according to the CBC.
Related News:
TikTok Says Cyberattack Targeted CNN And Other ‘High-Profile Accounts’
TikTok Says Cyberattack Targeted CNN And Other ‘High-Profile Accounts’
News
Canada’s Unemployment Rate Hits its Highest Point Since 2017
As the job market remains dismal, the national unemployment rate in Canada has risen to its highest point since 2017. This has led some analysts to question whether the Bank of Canada should be reducing interest rates more quickly.
In spite of a net gain of 22,000 jobs, Statistics Canada reported on Friday that the unemployment rate increased to 6.6% from 6.4% the previous month. The rise was due to an uptick in part-time employment and a fall in full-time employment.
Outside of the pandemic years, the national unemployment rate has reached its highest position since May 2017, according to StatCan.
Rapid population expansion in Canada has increased the overall labour pool, but the country’s unemployment rate has persisted in rising.
The summer job market was especially tough for students, according to StatCan. Not including the pandemic, the unemployment rate among students going back to school in the autumn was 16.7 percent, which is the highest level since 2012.
Two days after the Bank of Canada dropped interest rates for the third time in a row, reducing borrowing costs to alleviate economic pressure, the most recent reading of the Canadian job market follows suit.
According to TD Bank economist Leslie Preston, who wrote a note on Friday, the central bank is “giving the OK” to keep dropping rates due to the bad August jobs report. Preston predicts two more quarter-point decreases at the remaining decisions this year.
According to CIBC senior economist Andrew Grantham, there are indications that the labour market is quickly contracting more than initially thought, since the unemployment rate is nearly two percentage points greater than the record low of 4.9% in June 2022.
“Due to this, we believe the Bank should be contemplating a quicker rate of reductions in order to bring interest rates to less restrictive levels,” he informed clients in a letter on Friday morning.
Trending News:
Canada Reports Its First Human Rabies Case in 57 Years
News
US Job Growth Falls Short of Expectations: Economy Struggles Under High Interest Rates
Last month, job growth in the United States was weaker than predicted, prompting concerns that the world’s largest economy is beginning to struggle under the weight of increased interest rates.
The Labour Department said that employers added 142,000 jobs in August, which was less than the nearly 160,000 economists predicted. It also stated that job gains over the preceding two months were weaker than expected.
However, the jobless rate went down to 4.2%, down from 4.3% in July.
The report is one of the most important indicators of the US economy and arrives at a vital time, as voters consider presidential candidates for the November election and the US central bank contemplates its first interest rate decrease in four years.
Analysts said the latest statistics kept the Federal Reserve on pace for a rate drop at its meeting this month, but did little to answer worries about the trajectory of the US economy or how much of a cut it should make.
“There has rarely been such a make-or-break number; unfortunately, today’s jobs report does not completely resolve the recession debate,” said Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management.
Soaring prices in 2022 caused the Federal Reserve to hike its key lending rate to 5.3%, a nearly 20-year high.
Faced with increased borrowing costs for homes, vehicles, and other debt, the economy has slowed, helping to alleviate pressures that were boosting inflation but exacerbating market concerns.
As inflation has fallen to 2.9% in July, the Fed is under pressure to decrease interest rates to prevent additional economic deceleration.
Although job increases in August fell short of expectations, they were greater than in July, when a slowdown aroused anxieties and triggered several days of stock market volatility.
Last month, construction and health-care firms hired the most, while manufacturing and retailers laid off employees.
Ms Shah stated that the data in Friday’s report was mixed, but provided enough concerning indicators that the Fed should make a larger cut.
“On balance, with inflation pressures subdued, there is no reason for the Fed not to err on the side of caution and frontload rate cuts,” she told reporters.
Others, however, felt the advances were just steady enough to warrant a 0.25 percentage point decrease, as markets had long projected – though this could signal more cuts than expected in the coming months.
Paul Ashworth, Capital Economics’ senior North America economist, predicted that the Fed’s decision will be “close run.”
“The labour market is clearly experiencing a marked slowdown,” he said, adding that the new statistics were “overall still consistent with an economy experiencing a soft landing rather than plummeting into recession”.
Concerns about the economy are a major issue in the US election.
According to polls, a majority of Americans feel the US is in a recession, despite healthy 2.5% growth last year.
Donald Trump has declared that the economy is headed for a “crash,” and his team instantly latched on the latest data to criticise Vice President Kamala Harris, publishing a press release titled “warning lights flash as Kamala’s economy continues to weaken.”
Democrats have defended their performance, claiming that the United States survived the pandemic and inflation better than many other countries.
They believe the slowdown is a sign that the economy is returning to a more sustainable rate of growth following the post-pandemic boom.
“Although hiring has slowed, the US job market continues to generate solid job gains and wage growth that is consistently beating inflation,” the White House Council of Economic Advisors stated in a blog.
-
Business4 weeks ago
Are You A Cash App User? You May Be Eligible For A Piece Of This $15 Million Settlement
-
Celebrity4 weeks ago
Liza Minnelli Is ‘Mad As Hell’ And Writing New Memoir
-
Business4 weeks ago
Susan Wojcicki, Former YouTube CEO And Longtime Google Executive, Has Died At 56
-
News4 weeks ago
Travis Scott Is Arrested At A Paris Hotel After Altercation With A Security Guard, Prosecutors Say
-
Sports4 weeks ago
Lydia Ko Finally Gets Her Olympic Gold. It Puts Her Into The LPGA Hall Of Fame
-
Entertainment4 weeks ago
Samsung Is Recalling 1 Million Stoves To Prevent Pets From Setting Your Home On Fire