Knight Says He Didn’t Snub Wooden Award Ceremonies

Bob Knight, Indiana basketball coach, told The Times Sunday that he didn’t snub the John Wooden Award ceremonies April 1 at the L.A. Athletic Club honoring Navy’s David Robinson as college basketball’s player of the year.

Steve Alford, Indiana’s star guard, was second in the voting. Neither Alford nor Knight was in attendance.

“I wasn’t able to go there in any event because of a previous commitment,” Knight said. “But I had made arrangements for Steve’s dad (Sam), who was his high school coach, to go with him if he was to win the award.”

When it seemed apparent that Robinson would win the award, Knight didn’t deem it reasonable for Alford to miss two days of classes in travel time “just to clap for somebody else.”