Texas Tech basketball: Bob Knight’s most memorable moments as a Red Raider

The salad bar incident caused Texas Tech fans to rally around Knight

It wouldn’t be genuine to reflect on Knight’s time in Lubbock without acknowledging that not everything was blue skies and rainbows while he was in charge.  In fact, he had a rather infamous blow-up at United Supermarket on 50th and Indiana in 2004.

Details about what happened that day are hard to come by because those involved stayed rather quiet on the incident.  What we do know, however, is that Knight and then-Texas Tech Chancellor David Smith got into a heated argument at the salad bar with some who claimed to have been present that day saying Knight even threw his salad at Smith.

The following remarks from Smith, which were published in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal give us his side of the incident.

"“I placed my hand on his shoulder, kidded him about eating healthy, and stated that, ‘Most of us only hear the negatives, it’s important that sometimes someone remembers the positives.'” According to Smith, Knight’s “demeanor and bodily habitas [sic] changed drastically. With a red face his response was curt and angry as he responded, ‘I always handle things well, and have always handled things well.'” Last week Knight, probably not talking about lettuce, said, “I should have shook my head, walked away … and I didn’t … [but] I absolutely did not instigate anything.”"

With Knight not far removed from the controversial actions that led to his dismissal at Indiana, any negative incident involving the Red Raider coach was going to draw national opinions like flies to a garbage can and that’s what happened.  However, Knight was not suspended by the university, and at the next game, many students wore t-shirts that read “Lettuce Support Coach Knight”.

This was by far the most noteworthy off-court incident involving Knight and it ultimately proved to be nothing significant.  However, it was a reminder that Knight was at times a loose canon and that the Red Raiders were taking a ride on the dangerous side by bringing him in to lead the program.  In the end, though, it was a ride well worth taking.