Over the years, Donnie Cornette has held on to a few things.
His decades of UK fandom have resulted in an office full of ticket stubs, framed photographs, retro logos and precious memories, each with a story he's happy to share.
But, like most Kentucky fans of a certain generation, he's also held on to a certain grudge.
"Just guard the guy throwing it in!"
He is, of course, referring to "the shot," which has found a permanent spot in the minds of both the general sports-watching population (many of whom insist the 1992 Elite Eight matchup between the Wildcats and the Blue Devils remains the best college basketball game to ever be played) and true Kentucky fans (many of whom cannot stand to speak of it).
"I thought when he didn’t guard the guy, that was a bone-headed coaching move," Cornette says now of Pitino's decades-old decision to leave Grant Hill unguarded, resulting in the Christian Laettner overtime basket that sealed the game's fate and ended an "Unforgettable" season.
"I sort-of harbored that knuckle-headed coaching move, I thought. I wanted to forgive him for that," Cornette said. "At the same time, I wanted him to forgive me for thinking it was a knuckle-head move because I love the guy."
It's that specific genre of mixed emotions that makes fandom special. It's also why, 33 years later, Cornette (among others) noticed some striking similarities when Kentucky's January 14th game at LSU came down to the final seconds.
"It’s down to crunch time, and LSU guards the guy throwing the ball in," Cornette recites, before admitting he thought the Cats were destined for a loss. "I thought: 'Oh, this is never going to work. The shoe’s on the other foot and it’s not going to work.'"
Despite the defender, Collin Chandler made the perfect pass to Malachi Moreno, who sunk the game-winning basket with mere fractions of a second on the clock.
"Remember he’s 19, 7-feet tall, shoots it, it goes in," Cornette smiles widely at the not-so-distant memory. "Just the opposite of the Duke game!"
Redemption, at last.
The stakes weren't as high; the result likely won't be remembered or referenced for decades to come in the same way "the shot" remains a cultural mainstay. But Cornette found immense joy in the "Malachi miracle" and a game ending in a familiar way - this time, in his team's favor.
He also felt like he'd made a mistake and, inspired by country singer John Prine's song "When I Get to Heaven," released on his 2018 album, "The Tree of Forgiveness," Cornette decided it was high time to start making amends.
Starting with Rick Pitino.
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) January 29, 2026
"Every now and then, I get a great letter," Pitino says in a video posted to his personal X account on January 29th. "Some are funny; some people are to the point where they want to coach the team. But this is a great one."
The former Kentucky head coach, sitting in his new office at Saint John's, not only read Cornette's letter (personally), but he also shared it (publicly). At the time of publishing, the 55-second clip has been viewed more than 250,000 times, garnering thousands of shares, likes and comments.
Cornette had no idea it existed.
Until we called.
Watch Cornette's conversation with BBN Tonight anchor Maggie Davis to see his initial reaction to the video and how it'll change the memory - and the grudge - he's held on to for so long.
This story was shot and edited by BBN Tonight photojournalist, Nick Lazaroff.
For more on Kentucky basketball and all of the Wildcats, join us on BBN Tonight, airing weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on the official station for UK Athletics, LEX 18.
