Indiana had incredible tribute to Bob Knight’s chair-throwing incident

Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indiana had incredible tribute to Bob Knight’s chair-throwing incident

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Feb 23, 2025 2:38 PM ET

It has been 40 years since Bob Knight infamously threw a chair across the court in anger, and Indiana found a great way to commemorate the infamous incident.

Indiana on Saturday hosted Purdue, which happens to be the same opponent they faced at home on Feb. 23, 1985. It was during that game — a 72-63 win for the Boilermakers — that Knight had multiple of his patented explosions on the officiating crew.

Knight picked up two technical fouls before being ejected, which was nothing out of the ordinary. What made the situation unique for the three-time national champion was that he hummed a chair across the hardwood before leaving the bench area.

35 years ago today, Bobby Knight took his frustration out on a chair. pic.twitter.com/A8y1yvKi2M
— ESPN (@espn) February 23, 2020

The stunt resulted in a third technical foul for Knight and a one-game suspension from the Big Ten.

On Saturday, Indiana decided to commemorate the incident. The chair that was placed on the sideline for head coach Mike Woodson was from the same lot that the Hoosiers used when Knight sent the chair flying.

Interesting game tidbit: Mike Woodson’s chair today is one of the original bench chairs purchased when Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall opened in 1971, and from the exact same lot as the infamous chair from 40 years ago. pic.twitter.com/Vzs1u3MrAD
— IU Artifacts (@IUArtifacts) February 23, 2025

No one knows for sure where the original chair that Knight threw ended up. If someone were able to authenticate it, collectors estimate that it could be worth as much as $100,000.

Knight was known for his explosive temper and hard-nosed coaching style. Even those who barely know anything about the Hall of Famer know that he is the coach who once threw a chair across the floor. Indiana is doing its part to keep that legend alive.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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