Thursday, February 10, 2011

Bob Knight assessed technical foul during Big 12 game

NORMAN, Okla. – Former college basketball coach and current ESPN basketball commentator Bob Knight was back in familiar territory on Wednesday when he was hit with a technical foul for yelling at the officials during the Texas Longhorns 68-52 win against Oklahoma.

Knight, a three-time national championship coach whose temper and demeanor helped make him a legend, was pointing and yelling at referee John Higgins for ruling that Jordan Hamilton traveled after a shot fake and drive to the basket. Higgins stopped play, stood on one leg and made a dramatic “T” motion with his hands, then pointed at Knight six or seven times to indicate the technical foul.

“You see, all I was trying to do was get the ref to acknowledge that the kid pump faked,” Knight said before anyone asked the question or was even paying attention to him. “You see, it’s right here, this kid does a great shot fake before he drives. It’s important to shot fake with the basketball because it gets the defense on their heels, you see. And I didn’t agree with the referee for making the call against that kid because I think we need to reward the shot fake, not punish it.”

Because Knight was a neutral commentator, there was confusion about how it would be enforced. After the referees conferred, each team got to shoot one free throw. After the game, Higgins defended the technical call.

“I’m out there battling the players, the coaches and the fans, and the last thing I need is to battle the announcers as well,” said Higgins, who made sure the cameras ‘got his good side.’ “These people aren’t here to see Bob Knight talk into a microphone, they’re here to see me make flamboyant gestures and try to take over a game.”