BREAKING NEWS: Netflix Releases “The Underdog,” a Highly Anticipated Documentary About Indiana Hoosier Men’s Basketball Legend Bob Knight, Slated for Release on the Fourth of July
In a major content announcement that has sports fans and documentary lovers buzzing, Netflix revealed today the release of “The Underdog,” a bold and deeply layered documentary chronicling the life and legacy of legendary Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball coach Bob Knight. Slated to premiere on July 4th, the documentary promises an unflinching portrait of one of the most complex and controversial figures in the history of American sports.
Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Sarah Lattimore, “The Underdog” spans Knight’s 29-year tenure at Indiana University, from his explosive rise to national championship glory in 1976 — the last time an NCAA Division I men’s team finished a season undefeated — to his equally volatile fall from grace in the late 1990s. The documentary weaves archival footage, unreleased locker room recordings, and over 60 exclusive interviews with former players, rivals, journalists, and even Knight’s fiercest critics.
“This isn’t just a basketball story,” Lattimore explained in a press release. “It’s a story about power, discipline, loyalty, and the human cost of greatness.”
Known as “The General,” Knight’s coaching philosophy was defined by fierce intensity, military-like discipline, and an unrelenting demand for perfection. He guided the Hoosiers to three NCAA championships, five Final Four appearances, and a staggering 662 victories. But his legacy is also marred by a long list of controversial incidents — from his infamous chair-throwing outburst in 1985 to allegations of player mistreatment that ultimately led to his dismissal in 2000.
The documentary explores these dualities in sharp detail. Former Hoosier greats like Isiah Thomas and Calbert Cheaney appear alongside opponents and coaches like Mike Krzyzewski, who played under Knight at Army, and later faced him as a coaching peer. Even family members of Knight, notoriously private in media circles, offer rare insight into the man behind the headlines.
One of the film’s most powerful segments centers around Knight’s complicated relationship with Indiana University — the institution that both defined and dismantled his coaching dynasty. Through newly uncovered documents and testimonies, “The Underdog” revisits the 2000 firing that stunned the sports world, and the decades-long estrangement that followed until his emotional return to Assembly Hall in 2020.
Netflix, banking on the success of past sports docuseries like The Last Dance and Quarterback, is positioning “The Underdog” as its next tentpole in the genre. The platform has announced a limited theatrical release in select cities prior to its streaming debut, and a companion podcast hosted by veteran broadcaster Bob Costas.
Whether you view Bob Knight as a genius, tyrant, or tragic hero, “The Underdog” offers a riveting, all-access journey into the mind and legacy of a man who changed the game — and paid the price for it. As fireworks light up the sky this Independence Day, America will once again remember the firebrand who lit up the hardwood.
