PLAYING FOR KNIGHT: MY SIX SEASONS WITH COACH KNIGHT

Rating:
Summary: A must-read for any Big Ten basketball fan!
Review: Admittedly, I didn't read this book until Alford took over as head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes. But, I could not put the book down. The Knight "war stories" are enough to make you scratch your head and the complete enthusiasm Alford has for his game is very awe inspiring. Yes, Hawkeye fans will love this book, too!

Rating:
Summary: Pulls some punches
Review: Alford admits that he cleaned up Knight's language in this book. Bob Knight was famous for swearing up and down the court and all around, sometimes even when the camera and microphone were on. Alford probably also had some selective memory since being a professional in basketball who would eventually go on to be a coach, he didn't need Bob Knight as an enemy. Alford and some other players admitted as much when Knight was fired from Indiana a few years ago that they weren't always as honest about what went on as maybe they could have been. But that's understandable.

If you buy into the idea that sports is another kind of warfare, then Knight's style made sense. Think Bryant and the Junction Boys here. Knight did coach military before Indiana, too. But this story is not really a book about Bobby Knight. There are bunch of those. It concentrates just on that time when Alford was there, in the 80s, probably when Knight's power and prestige were at their greatest. Despite his size (Alford is on the short side to be a basketball player) he had skill and determination, and apparently the obedience that Knight wanted in a player.

Alford's daydream at the end will never come true, at least not in the way he sees it. He saw Knight still being at Indiana, and no one would have ever thought he could be toppled from there. He thought despite the drawbacks it would still be an excellent opportunity for his son, and he wouldn't hesitate to recommend playing for Knight. It was an experience.

Rating:
Summary: Pulls some punches
Review: Alford admits that he cleaned up Knight's language in this book. Bob Knight was famous for swearing up and down the court and all around, sometimes even when the camera and microphone were on. Alford probably also had some selective memory since being a professional in basketball who would eventually go on to be a coach, he didn't need Bob Knight as an enemy. Alford and some other players admitted as much when Knight was fired from Indiana a few years ago that they weren't always as honest about what went on as maybe they could have been. But that's understandable.

If you buy into the idea that sports is another kind of warfare, then Knight's style made sense. Think Bryant and the Junction Boys here. Knight did coach military before Indiana, too. But this story is not really a book about Bobby Knight. There are bunch of those. It concentrates just on that time when Alford was there, in the 80s, probably when Knight's power and prestige were at their greatest. Despite his size (Alford is on the short side to be a basketball player) he had skill and determination, and apparently the obedience that Knight wanted in a player.

Alford's daydream at the end will never come true, at least not in the way he sees it. He saw Knight still being at Indiana, and no one would have ever thought he could be toppled from there. He thought despite the drawbacks it would still be an excellent opportunity for his son, and he wouldn't hesitate to recommend playing for Knight. It was an experience.

Rating:
Summary: Alford teaches that hard work and a good attitiude, pays off
Review: Indiana basketball legend Steve Alford, describes what it was like playing for the General, Bob Knight. Alford shows us in the book the genius of Bob Knight. He also talks about the temper tantrums, mind games, and manipulations he and his teammates had to go through while playing for the General. In the book, he describes some of the war stories about coach Knight. Alford, talks about the brilliance of the General and how he made him become a better player and person.
This book was very inspiring to me. Not only did I learn that Steve Alford is from my hometown, I learned many more things about his family and his relationship with his coach. In the book, Alford talks many times about how hard he had to work to achieve all of his goals in life. All of the countless hours he spent on the court and how they paid off. If you are looking for an inspiring and motivational book, this is an excellent choice. I think all younger kids that are basketball players should read this book. It may have many goods tips for them. "Playing for Knight", would definitely teach them, how hard work can get you to the top. They may also learn more about life's little lessons. Knight had the willingness to sacrifice victory just to teach his players a larger lesson about work, pride, and honor. If your are thinking of reading a book, this a great story to start with.

Rating:
Summary: The Steve Alford and Bobby Knight Story
Review: My brother, a huge Bobby Knight fan, has been bugging me to read this book for a long time. As he's the basketball player/authority in the family (although I might note that none other than Bill Bradley did advise him once -- in writing -- that he needed to work on his inside game), I thought I'd read this book to see if the inside Knight story would change my inability to appreciate Knight's methods. Here's my conclusion. If you buy the notion that sport/basketball is war, then Knight's methods make some sense. In the same vein that Patton made a lot of sense for the army. (Knight is, by the way a big Patton fan). You didn't have to want Patton to be the godfather to your children to appreciate that his methods meant a shorter war, less American casualties and a quicker victory. Of course, Omar Bradley, who was by all accounts a pretty decent human being, was also a great war commander. However, war, unlike basketball, has no rules, no timeouts, and doesn't end with a buzzer, but when one side is willing to cry uncle. During my reading of Alford's book, I was constantly wondering if another coach could have been as successful with Indy's players if he had taken a positive approach to motivation as opposed to Knight's very negative mode. I don't know enough about John Wooden to know if he was a decent person to his players, but he certainly took a very positive approach to motivating his team and had more success than Knight has enjoyed. But, you have to admit that Knight gets the job done. This book doesn't go into the questions I've ruminated on above, but chronicles Steve's Alford's four years with Bobby Knight. This sanitized version (Alford admits he deleted Knight's trademark profanity in his recollections), gives a pretty good inside picture of what it's like "playing for Knight." I did feel the title is somewhat misleading, the book is really the Steve Alford story, and details his life / basketball career. His approach to the game and psyche were so dominated by Coach Knight that the IU helmsman does dominate the book. Alford takes an anecdotal approach to the telling -- playing for Knight before or after Alford's time is not explored. This is rather like a diary of Alford's life, the biggest chapters being his IU years. One winds up with a rich tale (Knight's antics, although somewhat repetitive, are so outrageous that they do make for pretty interesting reading) that's a quick read. If you're a college basketball fan, you'll enjoy this book. So too, will psychology majors

Rating:
Summary: A clear picture
Review: Steve Alford offers a clear and concise picture of what it is like to play for one of the most successful yet intimidating coaches in college basketball. You'll feel the frustration he felt when in the coach's doghouse and the joy he felt when winning the national championship. Through four years of playing at Indiana, Alford was able to see thru the mind games and realize the coach's motive. A truly great book written by a truly gifted athlete.