- Ivan Renko
Ivan Renko was a fictitious Yugoslav
basketball player created byBobby Knight when he was the head coach for theIndiana University Hoosiers .cite web
title = Knight: My Story
pages = 334-335
authors = Bob Knight and Bob Hammel
date = 2002
publisher = Thomas Dunne Books, New York
ISBN = 0-312-28257-8
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=IvuEfNiw0yYC&pg=PA335&lpg=PA335&dq=ivan+renko&source=web&ots=nXVjeZoTyB&sig=-G4XRKgmQKk12Ozs-md3gDzmt04#PPP2,M1] In January of the 1992-93 college basketball season, Knight commented on his Sunday television show that the "6'8" 230 lbs. Renko was coming to Indiana and that he was very pleased to get this commitment."Knight created Renko in an attempt to exploit several so-called recruiting "experts" and to show that their services were actually worthless to subscribers. Knight was successful in his task, and even though Renko was completely fictional, several recruiting services started listing him as a prospect with in-depth descriptions of his potential and game style. Some of the more reputable recruiting gurus claimed to have never heard of Renko, whereas some other "experts" even claimed to possess or to see film of him actually playing basketball.
Ivan Renko is considered to be one of the greatest hoaxes in sports.
References
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