He shot 49.1% from the field and 73.6% from the free throw line. But it wasnt until the 1992-1993 season that Barkley had his best opportunity to win the championship when he was traded to the Suns. In Laettner's senior year, the Blue Devils went 34-2 and 14-2 in conference play. He found time to talk trash to the leagues MVP and dunked on him in the waning moments of Game 2, one that has been replayed over and over again on classic NBA games and highlights. He attended Duke University from 1988-1992, playing as a power forward and center for the Blue Devils. One of the players was Christian Laettner drafted in 1992, and Kevin Garnett who was drafted in. 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. Initial birdie during when it . Click here for the full list of the greatest NBA players who failed to win a ring. From 1991-93 and 1996-98, His Airness took on all challengers to the throne and vanquished them all. Twenty-seven years ago today, Duke's Christian Laettner swished perhaps the most famous shot in NCAA Tournament history. The Jazz had another chance in 1998 and they didnt waste time showing that they were a better team after their previous experience. Armed with his Killer Crossover, Hardaway left opponents in the dust as he found ways to punish them time and time again. The Cleveland Cavaliers had a championship window between 1988 and 1993. 1. Related. 1992: A moment burned into the heads of all college basketball fans: Christian Laettners turn-around buzzer-beater to lift @DukeMBB over Kentucky. He continued to be a productive player for the Timberwolves over the next few seasons, but was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 1996.Laettner's time with the Hawks was marked by frequent injuries, and he never quite regained his previous level of play. School: DukePosition: CenterHeight: 6-11Weight: 235 poundsYears active: 1988-92NCAA tournament record: 21-2Career averages: 16.6 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game, 57.4% field goal shooting. He was born and raised in Angola, New York (near Buffalo and Niagara Falls). Very much so. Then there's the Kentucky game, when Laettner's iconic jumper lifted the Blue Devils past the Wildcats 104-103 in overtime and into the Final Four. He has earned this net worth from his NBA career, where he played around 13 seasons and was paid $61 million. Christian Donald Laettner Laettner ultimately chose Duke over North Carolina and Virginia. He was a productive player for 13 seasons and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in his first season. More importantly, he led the Heat to a 61-21 record and the third-best record in the league. Christian Laettner hit the most famous shot in the history of college basketball. Meanwhile, Alonzo Mourning (who won a championship with the Heat in 2006) was the man in the middle, the All-Star center who patrolled the paint and was the cornerstone of the franchise. PHILADELPHIA (AP) Christian Laettner has made the shots of two lifetimes. He is the only player to be a starter in four Final Fours. He played on two NCAA champions and holds several tournament records. -Laettner had a successful 13-year NBA career, averaging over 14 points per game during his time in the league. Christian Laettner made $6,625,000 in 2001. Christian Laettner's "The Shot". Only 5.2 seconds remained, but that wasnt enough time for the Jazz to make a basket. He owns the second-most career points in NBA history with 36,928. He enjoyed a lengthy NBA career, appearing in 868 games, scoring over 11,000 points and grabbing nearly 6,000 rebounds. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1992 to 2005. Christian Laettner averaged 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. Laettner has admitted it was a "stupid move." Kentucky fans still wish he had been ejected so he wouldn't have been in the game to attempt the winning shot. ", Laettner: "When Coach K grabbed me, I felt really special at that point. The Christian Laettner NBA career then bounced around the league as he spent time . 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. Scottie Pippen and Karl Malone will enter this year, making it 10. This is not to say that collegiate success should be ignored when evaluating a players Hall of Fame case, but it is important to consider the totality of a players career when making such a decision. Christian Laettner is best remembered for his time at Duke, where he helped lead the Blue Devils to back-to-back national championships in 1991 and 1992. Many great players deserved to win the championship as much as he did. The time was ripe for them to make it to the NBA Finals. Arguments for induction: Their pick-and-roll is nearly impossible to stop. In the NBA, Laettner's highest rebounding game was on March 3, 1993, when he had 24 rebounds against the Indiana Pacers. With 2.1 seconds remaining and Kentucky up by one, Grant Hill threw the inbound pass from the end line all the way to Christian Laettner by the foul . Laettner led Duke University to two NCAA titles, one runner-up finish and one final four appearances. To appease that part of the basketball community, a decision was made to save one spot on the team. He was then drafted 3rd overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Moreover, they had Larry Bird as their coach. The first time was on November 11, 1992, against the Charlotte Hornets. As a sophomore, Laettner was even better. Christian Laettner was drafted 3rd overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1992 NBA Draft. Wise counsel indeed. He was traded six times in his career and never spent more than three seasons with one franchise. Michael Jordan had to take over. There are a number of factors that could have contributed to Laettner not living up to expectations, whether it be said expectations being too high, the Dream Team experience shattering his confidence, and his lanky frame not quite translating with the grit-and-grind that was ever so prevalent in the 90s era of the NBA. After a successful college career, Laettner was drafted into the NBA by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1992. No matter how often everyones seen it, no one seems to have found a solution to it for more than a decade. Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer did it at Florida in 2006 and 2007 and Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill did it at Duke in 1991 and 1992. As good as Hardaway was, Jordan was far superior. The Bulls had no answer for the 7-foot Georgetown alumnus. -Laettner only spent four years in the NBA compared to other Hall of famers who played their entire careers in the league which could be seen as indicative of his lack of dominance at the professional level. It was just such a sudden thing. However, if a team makes the playoffs, they could play up to 28 additional, Read More How Many Games Are In an NBA Season?Continue, Contents Who is Jordan Hall? In 23 NCAA tournament games first off just, think about that; Laettner played in 23 out of a maximum 24 possible tournament games in college Laettner scored in double figures 20 times. Laettner was an aggressive, some said dirty, player, who was not always well-liked. It has been almost 30 years since Duke standout Christian Laettner was picked over to Isiah Thomas to represent America in the Olympics with the 1992 Dream Team. 2 pick in the 2002 draft by . The lead changed 17 times. Christian Laettner was one of the most beloved and celebrated basketball players of his era. The biggest adjustment was the speed. -Some argue that Laettners induction would be more about his accomplishments at Duke than anything he did as a professional player. 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. As of February 2023, Christian Laettner has an estimated net worth of $12 million. Michael Jordan scored 42 points to lead the Bulls to a rout of the Knicks, 110-81. The Pacers had Jackson, an excellent playmaker, there was the tough pair of Dale Davis and Antonio Davis, and then there was 7-foot-4 Smits who had become one of the premier centers of the late 90s. He has since gone on to business success. He also played in 21 playoff games, starting in 12 of them. MORE: Marquette's Markus Howard picks his five most memorable moments in college. He, too, was an All-Star. There were 16 ties. The fo In 1997, Hardaway finished fourth in the MVP voting, averaging 20.3, 8.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. He had only been in the league for two seasons at this point, but he was already establishing himself as a very good player. But Michael Jordan was more than any man could handle. In his three years at Duke University, Christian Laettner became one of the most decorated players in college basketball history. 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. Ultimately, Christian Laettners legacy will be defined by his successes and failures both on and off the court. The stories. Whatever the reason, Christian Laettners time in the NBA was relatively unsuccessful compared to his collegiate career. One of the most controversial and productive college basketball players ever, Laettner laced up for . If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He also helped them win the NCAA title in both 1991-92, the first college team to repeat as champions since the 1970 heyday of the UCLA Bruins. I was pissed off. O'Neal, on the other hand, put together a first ballot Hall of Fame career, winning NBA Championships in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2006 while averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds on 58 percent shooting . inAngola,New York Laettner spent over three seasons in Minnesota before he was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks in 1995-96. First, at 611, Laettner was considered undersized for a traditional center, which limited his role on most teams. You didn't know you were going to win until the buzzer went off.". They lost in the first round in 1996 due to inexperience and the lack of talented players on their roster, especially as the no. Keep reading to find out! Laettner scored at least 18 points in all six of Duke's NCAA tournament games in 1991, including 28 against UNLV in the Final Four. In Game 7, His Airness was grounded by great defense from the Pacers who gave him different looks. In his NBA career, Laettner averaged 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds in 742 games. Five years later, Christian Laettner was the winner of the NBA All-Star title ward. However, he is eligible for induction starting in 2020. ", Joe Frisaro of The Tampa Tribune (December 1987): "Imagine, a 6-foot-10 center who's a deadly shooter, has excellent athletic ability and is willing to dive all over the court for a loose ball. Laettner and the Dream Team went on to win the Olympics by bulldozing their way through the group stage and the knockouts, and the Duke star was the only college player on that team. He . Price, Nance, and Daugherty played great basketball and the series was tied 2-2 after four games. Of the 12 Dream Teamers, eight are individual Hall of Famers Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, David Robinson and John Stockton. 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. Learn more and register. This was easily the best performance of Laettner's NBA career. Jerry Tarkanian led the Rebels to his only championship win. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Almost 30 years ago, Laettner powered Duke past Kentucky with one of the most famous shots in basketball history. In fact, in 2015, ESPN produced a 30-for-30 documentary entitled I Hate Christian Laettner. Laettner also ran into trouble later in life with investments in Durham, NC, where he went to college. None. I was jealous," O'Neal said in a radiointerviewduring the 2012 NBA Finals. All four of them were All-Stars at least once in their careers. Hardaway and the Heat had the misfortune of going up against some of the best Bulls teams in the 1996 and 1997 NBA Playoffs. Show More. And once again, Duke made it to the NCAA title game; this time, they faced off against UNLV, who were heavily favored to win. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. If there ever was a more balanced NBA team . He was named the NCAA Tournaments Most Outstanding Player in 1992 and was a first-team All-American in both his junior and senior seasons. He played for six teams during his NBA career: the Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards and Miami Heat. Will the Golden State Warriors repeat as champions, or will the Cleveland Cavaliers take home, Read More Who Is Up In The Nba Finals?Continue, Why some people think he should be in the Hall of Fame, NBA Valentines Day Cards: The perfect way to show your love for the game. There are a few theories. ", Laettner, reflecting on watching the 1986 national championship game as a high-schooler: "They all looked at each other and they seemed to be having a lot of fun out there. The All-American ended one of the greatest college basketball games ever with a turnaround jumper at the overtime. He is also known for his clutch performances in college, most notably the jumper he scored against Kentucky in the regional final. It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. A 6-11 (211 cm) power forward / center, Laettner played at Duke University, where he led them to the Final Four all four years of his college career. His career average of 6.7 rebounds per game is solid, but not spectacular. His college career for the Duke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the best in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history. Was Christian Laettner good in the NBA? pic.twitter.com/Pwtvqx29oJ. He was the teams best foul shooter at the Olympics (18 for 20). Christian Laettner is one of the most accomplished college basketball players in the history of the sport. O'Neal and Mourning went on to become dominant NBA centers, and there's a strong case one of them should have been named the "Dream Team" youngster regardless of how well Laettner performed at Duke. Christian Laettner won two national championships in college as he led Duke to back-to-back national championships in 1991 and 1992. Christian used to play basketball in his early years. He played 23 out of 24 possible NCAA games during his 4-year tenure, winning 21 of them. I've gone to a lot of camps. He is best known for his time with the Duke Blue Devils, where he won two national championships and was a part of the famed "Fab Five" recruiting class of 1991. By the time the smoke had cleared, the Bulls were back in the NBA Finals once again and Ewing, Starks, and Oakley were left to wonder what could have been. Abruptly, because of a sensational sophomore named Christian Laettner. The famous dynamic duo of the NBA was Malone and Stockton. In his NBA career, Laettner averaged eight blocks per game. Barkley submitted averages of 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Here are our 10 reasons to love Christian Laettner, because he was absolutely better for the game of basketball than we remember, and there's ( almost ) no reason to hate him at all. Their leader, Charles Barkley, was named MVP and many had predicted that the Bulls had finally met their match in the NBA Finals. LaVale Laettner played four years at Duke. He finished with career averages of 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Sadly, Barkley would never play in the NBA Finals again and continued to be ringless until he retired. 8 seed going up against the Bulls who held the best record ever in NBA history at that time with a 72-10 win-loss card. Coach K's squad won the East Regional Final and beat Indiana in the Final Four. As a junior, Laettners numbers dipped a bit as he shared the spotlight with fellow future NBA players Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley. The undersized Sixers forward was only 6-foot-6 but was built powerfully and had the speed and quickness of a guard. But Jordan had more to give as he nearly had a triple-double with nine rebounds and eight assists. Now, thanks to the. And who did Duke beat that year?