Profanity, threats: Story behind Bob Knight’s leaked audio from Indiana

Bob Knight’s profane tirade begins with him yelling at then-Indiana basketball player Greg Graham and his unacceptable defense.

The audio clip lasts 80 seconds and features an angry Knight, who died Wednesday at 83, unleashing a torrent of profanities, disappointments, threats and ultimatums.

The clip begins with Knight chewing out Graham:

“If you’re not going to recover, Greg Graham, if you’re just going to let him drive by you, if the rest of you are going to let him catch the ball outside the three-second lane and drive all the way in here without one guy challenging him, then I’m leaving and you (expletive) guys can run until you can’t even suffer.

‘Now, I’m tired of this (expletive). I’m sick and tired of a (expletive) 8-10 record. I’m (expletive) tired of losing to Purdue. I’m not here to (expletive) around this week. Now, you may be, but I’m not.”

This leaked audio was from the 1990-91 season, given the references and Graham’s spot on the roster, but the clip didn’t spread widely until the mid-1990s. It eventually went viral, in its own way, before we said things went viral.

But actually hearing him yell at practice, which was supposed to be private, was stunning, mesmerizing, entertaining and frightening. All of it pure Bob Knight.

Leaked Knight audio lands in email

How the audio leaked isn’t exactly clear, but it’s likely a student manager recording practice was responsible. There is an internet conspiracy theory that then-student manager Lawrence Frank, a former NBA coach and now president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Clippers who attended Indiana at the time, was the source. He has never confirmed this.

I don’t remember the exact circumstances of how I received the audio, but it was in an email that had been forwarded to me and several others, and I of course forwarded it, too. At the time, because there was no such thing as going viral, I felt like I was part of an insider’s club.

You have to understand: When this was recorded, there was no internet in the way we use it today, and in the mid-1990s, social media didn’t exist. Email was not as ubiquitous then, as not everyone was connected. Today, this audio would be everywhere, quickly. Think about Golden State’s Draymond Green punching teammate Jordan Poole before the start of last season. Within days, video had leaked, and it was a major NBA story.

Knight clip ends with (expletive) fireworks

Knight had one 8-10 Big Ten season at Indiana – 1989-90. Graham was on the roster that season as a freshman and part of the team in 1990-91. The Hoosiers were good in 1990-91, going 29-5 overall and tied for first in the Big Ten with Ohio State at 15-3. They eventually lost to Kansas in a Sweet 16 game.

A commenter on YouTube posits that the recording took place in January 1991, somewhere between beating Northwestern 99-58 on Jan. 5 and playing Purdue on Jan. 14. The Hoosiers had lost to the Boilermakers twice the season before.

Knight was not there that week to (expletive) around. The audio continues:

“I am not here to get my (expletive) beat on Monday, and you better (expletive) understand that right now. This is absolute (expletive expletive). Now, I’ll run your (expletive) right in the ground. You’ll think last night was a (expletive) picnic.”

(Just how miserable was the practice the night before, if the next punishment for poor play was going to make that seem like a picnic?)

The last bit of the clip, Knight yells: “I had to sit around for a (expletive) year with an 8-10 record in this (expletive) league. And I mean you will not put me in that (expletive) position again or you will (expletive) pay for it like you can’t (expletive) believe.”

In 80 seconds, Knight drops 16 F-bombs.

By the way, Indiana beat Purdue 65-62.

Thank (expletive) goodness.