Hoosier Legacy: Indiana Gym Honors Gene Hackman

The Hoosier Gym in Knightstown, Indiana, still honors the legacy of Gene Hackman, who starred in the 1986 film "Hoosiers." A wooden cutout of his face sits inside the original team bus, and photographs of the award-winning actor line the walls.

To the people of Henry County, Hackman is more than just an actor - he's someone who helped shine a light on basketball and the Hoosier community, leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.

"What we do is we put the movie on and just mute the sound. We know all the words. We know all the lines. We sit there and recite them to each other just like some sort of game," says Larry Loveall, a volunteer at the gym.

The gym still has many of its original features from the film, including memorabilia and a signed movie poster. The film plays in the background on repeat for visitors, who can also take part in a moment of silence to pay homage to Hackman.

A wooden cutout of Gene Hackman's face sits inside the original team bus at the Hoosier Gym. Photographs of the actor line the walls.

Loveall didn't know Hackman personally, but says his son was an extra on the film. "Mr. Hackman interacted with the kids, the teachers and the community. He was a very nice guy and loved the small town because he's from a small town in Illinois," Loveall adds.

The gym also sports a basketball court where 80 high school games are played each year by students from all around the country.

Matthew Steward, who has seen the movie more than 100 times, said that the film's impact on him and his friends growing up was immense. "The impact he had in this movie reflected who he was, and it impacted me and my friends growing up, and we wanted to play basketball, because not just how the movie depicted basketball players, but how he coached," Steward explained.

Steward has even brought his daughters to visit the gym, where they now both play high school basketball.