SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Mike Krzyzewski and Bob Knight sat next to each other on a pair of plastic orange chairs, together, like a father proud of his son on his graduation day.

Krzyzewski was wearing his Basketball Hall of Fame blue blazer, a patch adorning the left chest, like a prep school or college crest. Knight was in a relaxed blue sweater, his hair completely gray to Krzyzewski's still jet-black coif.

And like most relationships -- whether it be father-son, teacher-student or coach-player -- any tension or rocky times had been put in the past on a day to celebrate an honor, and to think about the accomplishments of an illustrious career.

	The Class of 2001 pose with their presenters from left to right, John Chaney with John Thompson; Mike Krzyzewski with Bob Knight; and Moses Malone with Julius Erving.

Krzyzewski picked Knight to be his presenter Friday night, 10 years after Knight was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Knight spoke glowingly of Krzyzewski during the ceremony at the Springfield Civic Center. When Krzyzewski was asked to the stage by Knight, he walked up with his three daughters as his escorts. In a touching moment, Knight, who shined on this evening, reached out for Krzyzewski's wife, Mickie, to join the family on stage. When Krzyzewski got to Knight, he hugged him and his eyes welled up with tears. Later, during an emotional speach, that was broken up at times with a sniffle or two, Krzyzewski spoke fondly of his former coach, players and adoringly and graciously about his late parents and close, immediate family.

In choosing Knight, the rules were simple: A Hall of Fame member must be a presenter. For Krzyzewski, there was no second choice. Knight recruited him to go to Army in the mid-1960s. He played for him for four years. He followed him to Indiana to be an assistant before taking over at Army as head coach in 1976.

Knight was a mentor to Krzyzewski throughout his coaching career, which began at Army and then moved to Duke in 1981. But the relationship soured a bit in the early 1990s after Duke beat Indiana in the Final Four in 1992. But any tension is apparently gone.

"Coach Knight was the only person that could have presented me," Krzyzewski said earlier Friday. "Everybody needs a start and I got two starts with him -- one as a player and one as an assistant coach."

"Which was really a helluva lot more than most guys could handle," said Knight, interrupting Krzyzewski and putting his hand behind coach K's neck in an affectionate manner.

"Going to West Point changed my life," Krzyzewski said. "When coach (Knight) walked out of my house, my dad said 'that's where you're going.' I didn't necessarily want to at the time, but I followed his advice and it turned out to be an amazing decision."

A week before Knight's new coaching life at Texas Tech officially begins with the first team practice, he was by Krzyzewski's side, not about to upstage Krzyzewski on his day. Knight was on his best behavior and couldn't have been more outwardly pleased with how far Krzyzewski has come since he recruited him out of Chicago's Weber High.

"No one (of Knight's players) picked something to do and got so far in that profession, and got as far as Mike did," Knight said. "I didn't encourage anyone to go into coaching. I said to him, 'what the hell is someone as smart as you going into coaching for?' Mike could have gone into anything. But the most important thing is he's done everything the right way. That's more important than what he has done."

Krzyzewski, who tied Knight with three national titles after winning the 2001 championship in Minneapolis this past spring, has a similar intensity for the game as Knight. Both have the passion for coaching and love the teaching aspect of the sport.

"He taught me how to work hard," Krzyzewski said. "I played point for him and I had an opportunity to learn the game. There has been no better teacher of the game than he and Pete Newell, and I got to be associated with Pete because of coach Knight."

Krzyzewski refuted any need to repair his relationship with Knight, saying he has had a "good relationship with coach Knight since that night he came into my house." He said Knight had a bearing on who Krzyzewski is today and couldn't think of anyone else to share with his Hall of Fame induction.

Knight said Krzyzewski doesn't give himself enough credit for his abilities as a player. In a candid, but honest appraisal, of Krzyzewski's game, Knight said he wasn't a good shooter, but could drive to the basket and knew how to be successful.

"I always loved a line he said after his sophomore year that he thought his first name was 'God Dammit Mike,'" Knight said. "I always got a kick out of that. But I've always used him as an example as the player who adjusted to what our team needed."

Knight cited an example during an NIT game against South Carolina when Krzyzewski had a chance to make a shot from the free-throw line. He was open, but so too were the two shooters who Knight said during a timeout were instructed to get the ball.

"Mike steps to the foul line with nobody with about six feet from him and at that point he saves his life and passes the ball," Knight said. "He was doing what he was supposed to do to help us win the game. Nobody I ever had played the game like that."

Krzyzewski said he has always tried to make every player understand the importance of his role, the way Knight did for him.

"The way he broke down the game gave you the ability to feel good about the game," Krzyzewski said.

The love fest between the two continued throughout Friday. And the good natured behavior from Knight was evident, although he couldn't resist getting in a few jabs in jest about the media when Krzyzewski set him up with a line. Krzyzewski was talking about how he was fortunate to have an athletic director like Tom Butters when he started at Duke.

"I was 37-47 my first three years at Duke, and if that were today, I might be writing a column now," Krzyzewski said.

"Aspire to something higher," Knight cracked.

Krzyzewski laughed and said or "whatever was available."

"Be careful," Knight shot back with a smile. "Don't agree with everything I say."

He hasn't. But one thing that's still common between the two is their desire to keep coaching.

"Hopefully, it's far from the end," Krzyzewski said of his career. "I feel great about coaching. I'm passionate and healthy. I love what I do. What happens, you get enshrined and do interviews and it's almost like you're announcing your retirement. I have said listen, 'it feels like I'm retiring and I'm not.' It's good what the Basketball Hall of Fame is doing. You honor a coach when they can still appreciate it and I'll appreciate the magnitude of this honor."

And having Coach Knight to share such a honor with him seemed to complete the day and his career to this point, allowing it to come back full circle -- only a few hours from where it began with Knight at West Point over 30 years ago.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.