One of the most controversial and productive college basketball players ever, Laettner laced up for . Laettner scored a then-career-high 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting, while leading Duke in rebounding with nine boards, plus dishing out four assists, in an NCAA tournament win against No. Except, even at his worst, Michael Jordan would find a way to win. Jordan shot 9-of-25 from the field but wound up with 28 points on hustle plays. Christian Laettner won three NCAA championships with the Duke Blue Devils, an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks, and an Olympic gold medal with the United States in 1992. Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina Page 19 Related Read: What are the fundamentals of christianity? The Bulls finished off the Jazz at home in Game 6 when Jordan passed the ball to an open Steve Kerr for the title-clinching shot. While the Fab Five seemingly won the war of words, Laettner's Blue Devils won on the court, beating U-M twice in the 1991-92 season, including in the NCAA national championship. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. Michael Jordan scored 42 points to lead the Bulls to a rout of the Knicks, 110-81. Malone is widely considered to be the second greatest power forward of all-time, next only to Tim Duncan. Christian Laettner is best remembered for his outstanding college career at Duke, where he helped lead the team to two NCAA Championships. A second can make such a big difference. Christian Laettner - College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com ", Laettner on picking Duke: "You want to go to the best school you can go to, and one that you think has a good chance to do well all the time. The highlight of his buzzer-beating shot to beat Kentucky in the 1992 East Regional final remains an annual staple of NCAA . In the end, Jordan could be seen breathing heavily and tugging at his shorts. Lenny Wilkens had a successful career as a coach following his career as a player. They were the most unfortunate of any franchise to have run into the Bulls during that stretch, facing them four times in six years. They defeated Michigan's Fab 5 in the championship game to win the national title, becoming the first repeat champions since UCLA in 1972-73. In the NBA, Laettner's highest blocks game was 5, which he achieved on 3 separate occasions. He made the Final Four in all four years of college and playedin the national championship game three consecutive years. There are a few theories. It was the perfect picture of Jordans competitive will to win that brought down the Hawks. He was a prep All-American and Howard Garfinkel of Five-Star Camp said Laettner was the third-best center in the his high school class. "The team has had one reunion, at the Olympic Hall of Fame last year, but only seven or eight of us made it," he said. He shot 49.1% from the field and 73.6% from the free throw line. He also racked up an All-Star appearance in 1997 but failed to do anything else of note during his NBA career. MJ stole the ball and raced back to the other end of the court. He knew when to score and when to pass the ball. He averaged 16.0 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game as a rookie and 15.1 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game in his second season. Related Read: Why do christians eat pork? In 1996, with last seasons loss still fresh on his mind, Jordan and the Bulls never let go of the gas pedal as they swept the Magic 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals. He played 13 seasons in the NBA for 6 different teams. The Christian Laettner NBA career started brightly with Minnesota Timberwolves, as he averaged 18.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, Laettner had 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 8-of-8 free throw shooting, plus 14 rebounds against UCLA in the Sweet 16. The Shot. Many people are surprised to learn that Christian Laettner didnt actually play in the NBA. Where Are They Now: 27 Years After Christian Laettner Made the "The Shot" He averaged 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for his career. Laettner was a standout high school player at Nichols School in Buffalo who was being recruited by some of the best programs in the ACC by his sophomore year. Christian Laettner's "The Shot" Lives On in March Madness Lore Ranking the 23 greatest moments in NCAA Tournament history Christian Laettner was drafted 3rd overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1992 NBA Draft. 16 16. He owns the second-most career points in NBA history with 36,928. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Laettner left the NBA in 2005. Mourning had 11 points and five rebounds. At 51-31, the Knicks didnt appear to be a threat by any stretch to the Bulls ascension. In 12 NBA seasons, Laettner averaged 8.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. There were 16 ties. Hardaway and the Heat had the misfortune of going up against some of the best Bulls teams in the 1996 and 1997 NBA Playoffs. An ESPN '30 for 30 documentary perfectly timed with Duke's run to the Final Four meant one thing for the Blue Devils' most famous alumni: Christian Laettner is back. But the Bulls would bounce back to win the next four games to take the series by the horns. Laettner had a strong rookie season, averaging nearly 15 points and eight rebounds per game, and was unanimously named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. It's just compared to his counterparts, he accomplished little at the pro level. One of the all-time great centers, Ewing eventually found success in the playoffs with bruising power forward Oakley, (a former Bull), and fiery shooting guard Starks. As a result of his onslaught, the Heat fell to the Bulls 4-1. Related Read: Why are christians so judgemental? Challenge accepted. He scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading Duke to a stunning upset victory. Then again, theres only one trophy and Jordan was not about to let it slip away from his grasp. Overall, Christian Laettner was a very good rebounder during his NBA career. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In the NBA, Laettner's highest rebounding game was on March 3, 1993, when he had 24 rebounds against the Indiana Pacers. After hearing the quotes that analysts like Jay Bilas said to Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times about Laettner, you would think that hed be destined for greatness in the NBA. When I saw the other (Dream Teamers) in the NBA, we felt we had shared something. Smith was a shooting guard who could score in bunches while playing excellent defense. Christian Laettner and the 1992 Blue Devils Where Are They Now? Laettner shot an extremely efficient 17-23 from the field, including 3-5 from three-point range. Christian Donald Laettner The stories. Hardaway would never come close to another finals appearance as injuries took their toll on his body later in his career. Laettners NBA career does not carry a Hall of Fame resume, but a strong case could be made for him as a collegian. He finished with career averages of 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He is best known for his time with the Detroit Pistons, where he won two NBA championships. ", Former Duke guard Phil Henderson: "He doesn't play like a freshman, but he still has that giddiness about him. He was perfect. Many people believe that he should be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, given his impressive career stats and accomplishments. What happened to Christian Laettner? Where is the 1992 NCAA Blue Devils You can watch the legendary ending of the 1992 Duke-Kentucky game below. Johnson and Majerle would never get the chance to play in an NBA Finals again. Hall of Fame choices based primarily on college play were once common. -Laettner was an incredibly successful college player, winning two national championships with Duke and being named National Player of the Year in 1992. Dude was the best player in a team that won back to back . ", More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Youre talking Walton, Alcindor, Elvin Hayes. As good as Hardaway was, Jordan was far superior. Contents The Steve with 8 NBA championships The Journey to 8 NBA Championships The Legacy of Steve with 8 NBA Championships The Impact of Steve with 8 NBA Championships The Influence of Steve with 8 NBA Championships The Significance of Steve with 8 NBA championships The Significance of 8 NBA championships The Importance of Steve, Read More Steve with 8 NBA ChampionshipsContinue, Contents Why NBA Valentines Day cards are the perfect way to show your love for the game How to choose the perfect NBA Valentines Day card for your loved one The top 10 NBA Valentines Day cards to give your loved one The history of NBA Valentines Day cards How to make your own NBA, Read More NBA Valentines Day Cards: The perfect way to show your love for the gameContinue, Contents82 Games in an NBA Season Why the NBA Season is 82 Games What Happens if Theres a Tie in the NBA Season How the NBA Season is Structured How the NBA Season Ends An NBA season consists of 82 games. What are the fundamentals of christianity? Data Provided By Everybody checked their egos at the door, and everybody on our team played basketball the right way, he said. But just when they appeared to have taken the game-opener in Game 1 of the 1997 Finals, Jordan was there to take and make the game-winning shot over Byron Russell. Lets be clear about something here; Laettner wasnt necessarily a bust in the NBA, as he was a solid rotation player who was able to carve out a space for himself in the league for more than a decade. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Does Christian Laettner have an HOF argument? : r/nba Furthermore, his career was largely defined by his collegiate success rather than his professional accomplishments. He played 23 out of 24 possible NCAA games during his 4-year tenure, winning 21 of them. Here are some of the awards Christian Laettner won in college: Here are some of the records Christian Laettner set in college and where he ranks in all-time statistical lists: Bill Travers of the New York Daily News (March 1986): "Our Saviour Lutheran's season ended roughly and abruptly Tuesday night. Get viral NBA graphics, memes, rumors and trending news delivered right to your inbox with the Clutch Newsletter. I was jealous," O'Neal said in a radiointerviewduring the 2012 NBA Finals. In Game 4, with the score tied in the final seconds, number 23 sealed the 4-0 sweep with a series-clinching buzzer-beater. Duke's Christian Laettner shoots the game-winning basket in overtime over Kentucky's Deron Feldhaus to win the NCAA East Finals in Philadelphia on March 28, 1992. ", Former Nichols High School coach Jim Kramer (December 1987): "Christian is being called the heir-apparent to Danny Ferry at Duke. Christian Laettner was drafted 3rd overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is the only individual. He had just won the Wooden Award and back-to-back national championships at Duke. Meeting in the Eastern Conference Finals, Jordan gave the Heat everything they could handle, scoring 30.2 points, grabbing 8.0 rebounds, and stealing the ball 1.8 times each night. This led to him being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he continued to struggle. Brad, Read More Brad Davis, NBA Player and Stamford NativeContinue, ContentsIntroductionWhat time is the game?What channel is the game on?Who is playing?Conclusion If youre a fan of the NBA, youre probably wondering if theres an NBA playoff game tonight. Christian Laettner is considered to be one of the greatest college basketball players of all time, and his exploits with the Duke Blue Devils led to him being a part of the 1992 Olympics 'Dream Team'. There are very few players in the history of the game that can match his college career, said Bilas, an ESPN analyst who played at Dukeand was an assistant coach during Laettners time there. Christian Laettner began his basketball career at an early age. He dribbles behind his back and hustles more than a shopping clerk at Christmas. Throughout the game, he was visibly in pain but even at 50 percent capacity, Pippen was still better than any player the Bulls could replace him with. A s an exhausted Tom Clark settled back into the aisle seat of his Delta Airlines flight the morning of March 29, 1992, a slight sense of uneasiness was tugging at his enormous feeling of . Wilkens is already enshrined as a player and coach. Michael Jordan had to take over. Laettner led Duke University to two NCAA titles, one runner-up finish and one final four appearances. Laettner won two NCAA national championships with Duke (1991, 1992) and was a two-time National Player of the Year (1991, 1992). The 1992 Olympics was the first year in which NBA players were allowed to compete, but Team USA reserved one spot on the team for a college player, so Laettner didn't take a place away from an NBA star. ", Laettner on his game and his areas of improvement: "I have to work on my shot all the time. There is no doubt that Laettner had a successful college and professional career, but the question remains should he be in the Hall of Fame? Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? "He's going to be great," Garfinkel said. He was a prominent American basketball player of the 1990s and early 2000s who is best known for his game-winning shot against Kentucky in the 1992 tournament that helped lead Duke to the championship game, and for the hatred he received from opposing fans. But among the stars, it was Jordan who shined the brightest. He led the Bulls to a 4-2 series win, averaging a series-high 27.3 points per game to go along with 1.7 steals and taking home the Finals MVP trophy. Christian Laettner was drafted by Minnesota Timberwolves, 1st round (3rd pick, 3rd overall), 1992 NBA Draft. Mullin needed to win as his illustrious career was near its end by this time. A story published in The Post-Star noted how a week after Syracuse was eliminated from the 1986 NCAA tournament, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was on hand watching Laettner, then a sophomore in high school. The Indiana Pacers of 1998 had the best chance of any team to dethrone the Bulls in the 1990s. After retiring from the NBA in 2005, it hasnt gotten much better for Laettner. Get to know him better in this blog. Shaq: Laettner deserved Dream Team over O'Neal in 1992 - The Devils Den In Laettner's senior year, the Blue Devils went 34-2 and 14-2 in conference play. Christian Laettner still values high school titles as much as Duke's The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The Los Angeles Lakers finished the 2000-2001 season with a 56-26 record and went on the win the NBA Finals over the 76'ers. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski once told reporters that Laettner was so good, they had to get in contact with him early in the process, near the end of his sophomore year. Laettner was always willing to do the dirty work and his rebounding totals reflect that. Johnson and Majerle would never get the chance to play in an NBA Finals again. I was the bag boy, the waterboy, said Laettner, a Duke University superstar and the only player without NBA experience to play on the 1992 U.S. Olympic mens basketball team. History was made. The Phoenix Suns were Americas darlings during the 1992-93 season. As a sophomore, Laettner was even better. Christian Laettner is one of the most accomplished college basketball players in the history of the sport.

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