Knight in AND1 Commercial

I N D I A N A P O L I S, Sept. 27 -- Bob Knight, accused last spring of choking aformer Indiana player, is featured in a television commercial forthe same company that last year ran an ad with coach-choker LatrellSprewell.

Knight, like Sprewell, fits the in-your-face image the companyis trying to project in its spot to be aired during the Olympicbasketball semifinals and finals this week, a spokeswoman for theAnd1 athletic apparel company said Tuesday.

In the commercial, Knight says the Olympics no longer represent“the spirit of the game” because of the use of NBA players.

In Your Face Marketing

“For us having taken a position with Latrell Sprewell in thepast and with playground players, it’s a natural for And1 to give voice to high school and college players during the Olympics. Bob Knight is a perfect fit for the brand to be able to say that,” said And1 spokeswoman Errin Cecil Smith Smith, who was at the taping at Knight’s home in Bloomington last week.

Knight was the coach of the last all-amateur gold-medal team inthe Olympics in 1984.

He was fired two weeks ago after he grabbed and berated astudent who greeted him by his last name, which Knight regarded asdisrespectful. But his action violated a zero-tolerance behaviorpolicy that was imposed following an investigation of former playerNeil Reed’s claim that Knight choked him during a 1997 practice.

Sprewell was suspended for 68 games after he choked formerGolden State coach P.J. Carlesimo in 1997.

In an And1 commercial aired during the NBA Finals last year,Sprewell read a script pronouncing himself “The American Dream”as Jimi Hendrix’ rock version of the national anthem plays in thebackground.

Smith said the company did not regard the selection of Knightfor the new commercial as controversial, even with his tempestuouspast.

“Everybody has an opinion, and ours is best delivered by a guywho had the opportunity to coach amateur players, who in factbrought home a gold medal for this country,” she said.