[CHEERS]
.
>> A HUGE OVATION, DURING AN
HISTORIC DAY AT ASSEMBLY HAUL.
BOBBY KNIGHT BACK IN THE
BUILDING FOR THE FIRST TIME
SINCE GETTING FIRED, IN 2000.
IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL MOMENT FOR
FANS AND FORMER PLAYERS.
THE GAME TAKING ON SOME ADDED
DRAMAS AS THE ENTIRE STATE
CELEBRATES BASKETBALL DAY.
>> NOW LIVE, WITH MORE ON THE
BIG REUNION.
REUNION.
>> YEAH, THE RIVALRY BETWEEN
INDIANA-PERDUE IS ENOUGH TO FILL
THE SEATS BUT TODAY WAS
DIFFERENT.
THE SECOND YOU WALKED IN YOU
COULD FEEL ADDED LEVELS OF
ANTICIPATION AND EXCITEMENT
WAITING ON THE RETURN OF BOB
KNIGHT.
WHISPERS ABOUT IT HAPPENING.
WHEN THEY PLAYED OHIO STATE T.
DIDN'T HAPPEN.
BUT TODAY, IT FINALLY DID AFTER
20 YEARS AWAY, BOB KNIGHT WALKED
BACK ONTO THE COURT.
[CHEERS]
>> IT WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY
INSIDE ASSEMBLY HAUL.
SANDWICHED BETWEEN STEVE GREEN
AND MAY AND BUCKNER AND
ALONGSIDE HIS SON PAT, BOB
KNIGHT MADE HIS WAY ONTO THE
FLOOR.
>>> I COULDN'T SLEEP LAST
NIGHT.
THINKING OF HOW IS IT GOING TO
COME OFF.
IT CONTINUE HAVE GONE ANY
BETTER.
>> IT'S BEEN TWO DECADES SINCE
THE BITTER SPLIT.
OVER THE YEARS, HE VOWEDDED NO
INTEREST IN COMING BAM WITH YOU
WHEN HE MOVED TO BLOOMINGTON,
THE IDEA THAT HE WOULD NEVER
RETURN BECAME MORE REALISTIC.
>> HE MOVED BACK HERE FOR A
REASON.
THIS IS WHERE HE BELONGS.
HE BELONGS HERE IN INDIANA.
AND FOR THE FANS TO SEE HELM.
HOPEFULLY HE'LL COME BACK, AND
BE A FIXTURE.
THIS IS WHERE HE BELONGS.
>> I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE
GREAT DAYS IN SPORTS HISTORY TO
BE ABLE TO GET COACH KNIGHT TO
COME BACK HOME.
RANDY WAS HAVE INSTRUMENTAL, AND
ALL OF US TRIED TO DO IT AND TO
GET HIM HERE TO SEE, WHAT IT IS
LIKE, TO SEE THE REACTION FROM
THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE AND I AP
PROOCHTCIATE NOT ONLY INDIANA
BASKETBALL BUT COACH BOB
KNIGHT.
WE THOUGHT THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
>> THE FANS WELCOMED KNIGHT WITH
LOUD CHEERS AND CHANCES OF HIS
NAME AND HE HAD A FEW WORDS.
>> HE SEEMED TO GET FIRED UP.
>> YEAH.
>> JUST LIKE OLD DAYS, HE WENT
INTO THE INDIANA LOCKER ROOM TO
GIVE A PREGAME PEOPLE.
HE WAS COACH KNIGHT.
IT WAS LIKED HASN'T LEFT THAT
LOCKER ROOM.
THE WORDS THAT HE GAVE TO THOSE
PLAYERS, BEFORE THEY WENT OUT ON
THE FLOOR, IT WAS FAB BOOM WILL
YOU SAY.
>> BOB KNIGHT'S APPEARANCE WAS
SHORT, BUT IT WAS A MOMENT YEARS
IN THE MAKING.
>> THE PERDUE COACH WAS
COURT-SIDE.
>> SPECIAL FOR HIM.
HE DESERVES IT.
AND THEY'RE ALWAYS HARD ON US,
AND WE WERE HARD ON HIM.
>> FAMOUS I.U. ALUM MARK CUBAN
COULDN'T MISS IT.
>> INCREDIBLE.
I MEAN, JUST THE FLASHBACKSS
FROM WHEN I WAS A STUDENT.
THE INTENSITY AND TO SEE THE JOY
ON HIS FACE AND TO SEE HIM
CONNECT, AND THEN THE PLAYERS,
TOO.
>> THE STATE OF INDIANA.
>> YEAH.
>> HE -- HE IS INDIANA
BASKETBALL.
>> SO, I THINK THIS IS A QUINT
SAID, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S
GOING TO BE A BIGGER DAY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SO A SPECIAL, SPECIAL DAY AND WE
ASKED QUINN BUCKNER NOW, WHY DID
HE NOW HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART?
IT DOESN'T MATTER.
WHAT MATTERS IS THAT BOB KNIGHT
FINALLY CAME BACK.
20 YEARS LATER BACK ON THE COURT
HERE AND WHO KNOWS MAYBE WON'T
BE HIS LAST TIME HERE.
>> I DO WANT TO KNOW, I.U. DID
FALL TO PERDUE.
BIG WIN FOR PERDUE.
A CRAZY LONG AWAITED DAY FOR
HOOSIER FANS ALL OVER.
>> YEAH, THE ARMS FOR THIS HAS
BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING.
FOR YOU, WHAT WAS IT LIKE AS HE
IS COMING OUT THERE?
BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME CONCERN.
WILL HE WALK OUT TO OUT TO THE
COURT, DID IT JUST ERUPT?
>> YES. IT WAS CRAZY HERE.
THERE WAS ALMOST LIKE A SILENCE,
WHEN THEY SAW HIM COME OUT ON
THE COURT.
AND THEN ONCE THE CHEERS STARTED
GOING, AND, BOBBY, BOBBY.
YOU COULD SEE THERE WAS A SMALL
SMILE.
AND HE GOT INTERACT WITH THE
CROWD, TELLING THEM TO PLAY
DEFENSE.
SOME A GREAT DAY.
THE SMILES ON HIS PLAYERS FACES,
SETH IT ALL AND THE ENERGY, WAS
YOU COULD FEEL IT.