Bob Knight’s Chair Toss Anniversary Has Me Wondering...

One of the most infamous moments in the long history of college basketball occurred 41 years ago today.

No, it wasn't a crazy game with a wild finish, but instead arguably the most memorable incident ever with a head coach.

Simply put: The Chair.

Indiana fans know the story by now, as do most Purdue fans for that matter. The Hoosiers were just 14-9 overall late in the regular season and playing host to their in-state rivals.

Things weren't going Indiana's way early in the game, as Bob Knight received a technical just five minutes in, trailing 11-6.

It was what happened next though, that has gone down in college basketball lore.

Watching back years later, I have a new favorite part. It's not that actual chair toss or Knight carrying on after, but instead the Purdue player that's at the free throw line.

Steve Reid, a Purdue senior at the time, is getting ready to shoot the technical foul free throws and is obviously stopped. I can't help but love the fact that immediately after Knight tosses the chair, Reid's reaction is to run and get it.

Go watch the video above again if you missed it.

The usher at Assembly Hall ends up taking it but what was Reid going to do if he retreived it? Hustle it back to the Indiana bench?

Thank Goodness Bob Knight Wasn't There on Friday Night

My other thought after being alerted that it was the anniversary of the chair-toss was that thank goodness Bob Knight wasn't around for what happened this past Friday night in West Lafayette.

Sure, this Indiana team may end up making the NCAA Tournament unlike the Hoosiers in 1985, but rarely did you ever see an Indiana team get blown out under Knight quite like it did at Purdue.

That begs the question I can't help but wonder, though.

Had Bob Knight been coaching Friday night at Purdue, what would he have grabbed to throw?

Gone are the days of the court being above the bench at Mackey Arena, but also gone are the days of the light desk chairs gracing the sideline. Instead of the light piece of plastic Knight chucked across the floor, these things are a good ten pounds now at least, and with all the foam, wouldn't slide like that one did.

I don't know if it would have been a clipboard or a piece of clothing or what, but I can only imagine what would have been going through Knight's mind had he been on the Indiana sideline when Purdue was making a mockery of the Hoosiers.

Fun Fact from That Purdue Coaching Staff

Illinois head coach Bruce Weber during a 2011 basketball gam — Jan. 22, 2011; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bruce Weber in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Assembly Hall. | Dennis Wierzbicki-Imagn Images

I always enjoy the "Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon" thing where you track a movie back to being linked to Kevin Bacon based on who the actors were in it.

That same concept is great in sports as well.

You can see a young Dan Dakich on the Indiana bench in the video. Dakich of course went onto be a longtime assistant of Knight's at Indiana before taking a head coaching job at Bowling Green. He eventually got into sports media after leaving coaching.

Not shown in the video are a couple of future coaching stars in college basketball.

Kevin Stallings, who would lead Illinois State to a couple of NCAA Tournament appearances before taking the Vanderbilt job was a Gene Keady assistant at the time. As was a young Bruce Weber, long before he would lead Southern Illinois, Illinois, and Kansas State each to deep NCAA Tournament runs as head coach.

Anyway, happy anniversary to those that celebrate such things.