Very much so. He was perfect. He was also a very good rebounder, and was often able to tip in missed shots or grab offensive rebounds and put them back in for easy baskets. In his career, Laettner had 14 assists in a game four times. As the NBA Finals approach, everyone is wondering who will come out on top. Most of all, Laettner provided was what every star-studded team needs a 12th man who knows his role. One of the most controversial and productive college basketball players ever, Laettner laced up for . In the playoffs, he averaged 9.2 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. 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. Though they were the best of friends, MJ would cut his friends heart out during the playoffs three times in four years. Why Christian Laettner made the 'Dream Team' over Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning, Complete roster, history behind"Dream Team". Laettners number 32 jersey was retired by the Duke Blue Devils in 1992. He faked right, turned over his left shoulder, double-pumped and made a miraculous . Stockton, meanwhile, is the best pure point guard in league history. Get viral NBA graphics, memes, rumors and trending news delivered right to your inbox with the Clutch Newsletter. He had one of the greatest college careers in the history of the game.. The physicality of the 1992 Knicks team was like the second coming of the Pistons Bad Boys. This time, it came with a soon-to-be Hall-of-Fame center in Ewing. He said keeps his medal in a safe at home and almost never takes it out. Basketball Team USA, Duke and NBA legend Christian Laettner is one of the Olympic 'Super Coaches' of the second season of The Z Team. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The Olympic Channel original series features Olympic legends who have just one week to turn around a struggling youth team. After his junior year, Laettner decided to forego his senior season and declare for the NBA Draft. Their pick-and-roll is nearly impossible to stop. Carlesimo out. He is best known for his time with the Detroit Pistons, where he won two NBA championships. The bad news for this pair is that Michael Jordan and the Bulls have foiled their attempts to seize the championship trophy away. None. He made 2 All-Star game appearances, in 1997 and 1998, and won an Olympic gold medal as part of the famed Dream Team in 1992. Overall, Christian Laettner had a very successful NBA career. He scored 31 points in the game the most of his NCAA tournament career on 10-of-10 shooting from the field and 10-of-10 free-throw shooting. 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. Christian won 21 games among 23 games played. O'Neal said in a radiointerviewduring the 2012 NBA Finals. The ball went in the hoop. 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. For the 1992. In Laettner's highest scoring game in the NBA, he scored 40 points against the Charlotte Hornets. The Bulls eliminated the Sixers easily in five games. Christian Laettner was born on August 17, 1969. Schrempf was a three-time All-Star, an All-NBA Third Team member, and was twice named Sixth Man of the Year. Hardaway was one of the games elite point guards, capable of scoring a basket and finding the open man. 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. His. The lead changed 17 times. Christian Laettner still holds the following records - most points scored (407), most free throws made (142), most free throw attempts (167), and most games won (21). Further, his team came third in the 1990 Argentina World Championship, where his team won the gold medal from the FIBA Americas Championships at 1992 Portland. He was a consensus National Player of the Year and two-time All-American, becoming the face of one of the most storied men's basketball programs. In the clinching Game 5 win, Jordan had 38 points, 19 rebounds, and 7 assists. Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. And once again, he led Duke to the NCAA championship game; this time they faced off against Michigans Fab Five team featuring future NBA stars Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. He played 23 out of 24 possible NCAA games during his 4-year tenure, winning 21 of them. On Aug. 13, the 1992 gold medal Dream Team will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. He will become the first basketball figure (and possibly the first individual of any sport) to enter the Hall of Fame three times for three different roles. In that series, the 10-time scoring champion averaged video-game-like numbers of 43.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 4.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. The stories. Arguments for induction: So while Shaquille O'Neal (LSU) and Alonzo Mourning (Georgetown) were probably better players at the time, Laettner did have star power of his own. As a result, the forward has downplayed his participation on. Malone is widely considered to be the second greatest power forward of all-time, next only to Tim Duncan. Yep, that would be Jalen Rose and the Michigan Wolverines. On Aug. 13, the 1992 gold medal "Dream Team" will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield . In the NBA, Laettner's highest blocks game was 5, which he achieved on 3 separate occasions. Laettner was one of the leagues toughest and best power forwards. But MJ elevated his game beyond All-Star levels in the NBA Finals such that he was able to carry the Bulls on his back en route to a 4-2 series win (more on this later). us, High School: Arguments against induction: 1969 The Jazz took Game 1 on their home floor after they secured homecourt advantage with a better regular season record. Throughout his career, he averaged 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. The Dream Team went 8-0, averaging 117.2 points a game and winning by an average of 43.7. He then finished them off in Game 5 with 39 points. 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. And who did Duke beat that year? He shot 49.1% from the field and 73.6% from the free throw line. In three seasons with the Sixers, Laettner averaged just 8.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game and, in 2000, he was waived by the team after averaging only 4.9 points per game in 26 total appearances. Second, his skillset was better suited for a more up-tempo style of play, which was not as common in the NBA during his career. The 1989 and 1991 Knicks were ill-equipped to challenge the Bulls and both teams would flame out in six and three games, respectively. The lucky passenger on the most dominant basketball team ever was Christian Laettner, and Shaq acknowledges it was the right choice to make, despite the fact he had just been selected no.1 in the Draft. The late Chuck Daly was head coach; Mike Krzyzewski and Lenny Wilkens are also in, leaving only assistant P.J. ", Former Nichols High School coach Jim Kramer (December 1987): "Christian is being called the heir-apparent to Danny Ferry at Duke. Jordan shot 9-of-25 from the field but wound up with 28 points on hustle plays. Everything was set for an upset. Duke had an out-of-bounds play with little time left on the shot clock when Laettner took a pass near the elbow. Four NBA championships and three Finals MVP's later, O'Neal was enshrined in the basketball Hall of Fame. For two straight years, 1997 and 1998, the Bulls had their hands full containing the Stockton-to-Malone pick-and-roll in the NBA Finals. Related Read: How old is christian nodal? This is a very good average, as it is higher than the career averages of block leaders like Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, and Dikembe Mutombo. Happy 52nd birthday to Christian Laettner! 868 GP, 12.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.6 APG 48.0 FG%, 82.0 FT% 1x (1997)A four-year starter at Duke, Laettner played in 23 out of a maximum possible 24 NCAA tournament games, winning 21. 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. After a successful college career, Laettner was drafted into the NBA by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1992. Click here for the full list of the greatest NBA players who failed to win a ring. The 1989 series was more of the same. Laettner had 14 points and four assists in that game as well. In the 1992 NBA draft, Christian Laettner was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was in this first round series that Jordan made The Shot at the buzzer to advance to the next round. Pandemonium ensued. Laettner's best season statistically was his rookie year when he averaged 16.0 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game. From 1990-1993, Jordan, and the Bulls were Barkleys roadblock to a championship. He appeared in 838 games, starting in 588 of them. Moreover, they had Larry Bird as their coach. He was a productive player for 13 seasons and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in his first season. The Christian Laettner NBA career started brightly with Minnesota Timberwolves, as he averaged 18.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. It was the perfect picture of Jordans competitive will to win that brought down the Hawks. 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. - GetAnyAnswer, Exactly what went wrong with Christian Laettners NBA career, Christian Laettner Wisely Knew to 'Keep Your Mouth Shut, Was christian laettner good in the nba? 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. Christian Laettner was born in Angola, New York. Of the 12 Dream Teamers, only Laettner (whose 13-year NBA career began immediately after the Barcelona Games) would have had a chance to be eligible under the old rules. The Dream Team went to Barcelona to restore the pre-eminence of U.S. basketball. However, Laettner's best season came in 1997-98, when he averaged a career-high 8.8 rebounds per game for the Atlanta Hawks. That didnt stop them from wanting to kill you in the game that night, he said. Except, even at his worst, Michael Jordan would find a way to win. Five years later, Christian Laettner was the winner of the NBA All-Star title ward. "He's going to be great," Garfinkel said. He is the only individual member of that team that is not currently in the Hall of Fame. Three of the four coaches are also enshrined. MJ was so drained afterward, he collapsed in the arms of teammate Scottie Pippen who assisted him to the bench. He never averaged less than 6.0 rebounds per game in any season and his career-high of 8.8 rebounds per game is a testament to his ability on the glass. Point guard Price, power forward Nance, and center Daugherty were All-Stars and as good a Big 3 as any you will find in the league at the time. The game in which he really burst onto the national scene was in the Elite Eight his freshman year. He played at Nichols School in Buffalo, and then at Duke University from 1988 to 1992. The Indiana Pacers of 1998 had the best chance of any team to dethrone the Bulls in the 1990s. Laettner's best years statistically were his first two years in the NBA. However, he is eligible for induction starting in 2020. This led to him being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he continued to struggle. The series was 2-0 in Chicagos favor days later. Once again Laettner came up big in the title game, scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds as Duke won their second straight national championship. This was easily the best performance of Laettner's NBA career. They lost in the first round in 1996 due to inexperience and the lack of talented players on their roster, especially as the no. Laettner's Nichols High School (Buffalo, N.Y.) team won the tournament after Laettner had 18 points and 21 rebounds in the final game. He's too good of a player. A member of the 1992 USA Olympic Dream Team, Laettner is one of only two players to have started all eight games during the teams dominant run to the gold medal. Laettner played fourteen NBA seasons for six NBA teams and is best known for his game-winning shot against Kentucky in the 1992 NBA tournament. Christian Laettner is best remembered for his outstanding college career at Duke, where he helped lead the team to two NCAA Championships. Armed with his Killer Crossover, Hardaway left opponents in the dust as he found ways to punish them time and time again. Laettner shot an extremely efficient 17-23 from the field, including 3-5 from three-point range. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. A second can make such a big difference. Christian Laettner was drafted 3rd overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. 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. Once against the Charlotte Hornets, once against the Boston Celtics, once against the Indiana Pacers, and once against the Portland Trail Blazers. He made the Final Four in all four years of college and playedin the national championship game three consecutive years. He was then drafted 3rd overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Almost 30 years ago, Laettner powered Duke past Kentucky with one of the most famous shots in basketball history. He is the only individual. He is also the only player in NCAA history to have started in four consecutive Final Fours. The Bulls had no answer for the 7-foot Georgetown alumnus. Although he was close to filing for bankruptcy in 2016, he seemed at peace with how his basketball career had went in the 2015 documentary of his life, perfectly titled I Hate Christian Laettner. ", Laettner on missing potential game-tying free throws against Arizona in a loss: "The whole Arizona game was the turning point for me. Related Read: Why do christians eat pork? The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. New York employed plenty of roughhousing techniques to get under Chicagos skin much like Detroit. A Next Michael Jordan candidate early in his career, the Magics Penny Hardaway combined the scoring ability of Jordan with the court vision of Magic Johnson. The Duke Blue Devils definitely fall into the villain camp in college basketball and the Darth Vader in Duke's history, at least according to opposing fans, is Christian Laettner. Barkley was the NBAs best power forward during the early 90s. Hes a great scorer and an even better defender. Christian Laettner made at least $61,485,000 playing professional basketball. He would go on to have a successful 13-year NBA career, appearing in over 1,000 games and averaging double figures in points and rebounds numerous times. His role as the 12th man on the greatest team in basketball history has not diminished Christian Laettners appreciation of the experience. The eighth-seeded Wildcats defeated the Georgetown Hoyas, 66 to 64. Laettner's clutch play against Alonzo Mourning, the Hoya's far-more-heralded freshman, pushed him from the category of 'good play' to the category of 'major star. Right, Born: Going one-on-one with Russell, Jordan drove to the middle then went with a crossover to take a jumper from the top of the key as his defender fell to the floor. All three put up great numbers in 1991-92 when the Dream Team was being put together, but it was Laettner who was named the consensus National College Player of the Year and led his team to a national championship. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. Christian Laettner played for the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 13 seasons from 1992 to 2005. He is also third all-time in total field goals made (2,759) and sixth all-time in assists (2,157). They first met in the postseason in the 1990 Eastern Conference Semifinals. This first came in 1991 and then in 1992. But otherwise, he has largely avoided the limelight and has not been active in promoting his own Hall of Fame candidacy. Laettner won two NCAA national championships with Duke (1991, 1992) and was a two-time National Player of the Year (1991, 1992). John Laettner was the Most Valuable Player of the NCAA mens basketball tournament in 1991 and 1992, leading Duke to back-to-back championships. He also played in 21 playoff games, starting in 12 of them. The Jazz had another chance in 1998 and they didnt waste time showing that they were a better team after their previous experience. Christian Donald Laettner Smith was a shooting guard who could score in bunches while playing excellent defense. 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. 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. Below we take a look at some of the arguments for and against his induction into the Hall. Everybody checked their egos at the door, and everybody on our team played basketball the right way, he said. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. While he will be remembered as a college basketball superstar and the perfect villian for college basketball in the late 80s and early 90s, it would be interesting to see how Laettners career would have been different if he entered the league today. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Full game: Duke beats Kentucky on Christian Laettner's shot, advances to 1992 Final Four, Marquette's Markus Howard picks his five most memorable moments in college, These are Payton Pritchard's 5 favorite games from his senior season, College basketball dictionary: 51 terms defined, No. Nance and Daugherty would play one more season before retiring without a ring. During the 1997 All-Star Game, the finger-wagging Mutombo baited Jordan by saying that MJ had never dunked on him, not even once. He's really a basketball purist. Christian Laettner is widely regarded as one of the best college basketball players to ever play. He teamed up with Shaquille ONeal to eliminate the Bulls in the 1995 Easter Conference Semifinals at a time when Jordan had just returned from his short-lived baseball career. The game is usually considered the greatest ever in college basketball, and Laettners shot has been re-run on television numerous times since 1992. 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. 9. Michael Jordan scored 42 points to lead the Bulls to a rout of the Knicks, 110-81. After his second season, his scoring and rebounding numbers both declined slightly and remained fairly consistent for the rest of his NBA career. To appease that part of the basketball community, a decision was made to save one spot on the team. Many people believe that he should be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, given his impressive career stats and accomplishments. Scoring on a drive quickly to cut the lead to one, 86-85. Barkley was deserving of the award as he posted some of the best numbers of his career on a winning team, leading the Suns to the leagues best record at 62-20. 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? Americas Olympic team had lost to the Soviet Union in 1988. Christian Laettner was drafted 3rd overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1992 NBA Draft. Challenge accepted. Laettern was the only collegian chosen for the original US basketball Dream Team that dominated the opposition at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. John Laettner is not in the NBA Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/Pwtvqx29oJ. Christian Laettner had a unique and dizzying career arc. Christian Laettner released the shot. He said he never felt big-timed or snubbed by his more glamorous teammates. Abruptly, because of a sensational sophomore named Christian Laettner. Hardaway would never come close to another finals appearance as injuries took their toll on his body later in his career. Starks was clueless on how to stop the rampaging Bull and he remained unshackled until the series was over. ", More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. 7th in NCAA tournament history in career rebounds: 13th all-time in NCAA history in single-season 3-point percentage: 55.7 percent, 1992, T-17th all-time in NCAA history in career games played: 148 games, T-18th all-time in NCAA history in career free throws made: 713 free throws, 25th all-time in NCAA history in scoring: 2,460 points. Mourning had 11 points and five rebounds. But an objective look at a player whom fans loved to hate says he should be. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He played just three seasons with the Timberwolves before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 1995. Long before he was dream-shaking, game-winning Duke legend Christian Laettner, he was just a skinny kid from Angola, New York, who loved to play basketball. His father told him to take the lead and let everyone else follow. Laettner was always willing to do the dirty work and his rebounding totals reflect that. The Bulls celebrated their 6th championship on Utahs home floor, keeping the Jazz from a championship once again. inAngola,New York 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 . Whatever the reason, Christian Laettners time in the NBA was relatively unsuccessful compared to his collegiate career. He knew when to score and when to pass the ball. Or write about sports? He is particularly well-known for his game-winning shot against Kentucky in the 1992 regional final, as well as for the hatred he received from opposing fans. Related Read: What are the fundamentals of christianity? His college career for the Duke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the best in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history. Kana Gum For NCAA Title DOUQ C2AD A Fitting End To Two Fine . I was pissed off. It took him seven years to get there as the Chicago Bulls had to face many obstacles along the way that blocked his path to achieving the ultimate prize. He also added seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and one block. He was the teams best foul shooter at the Olympics (18 for 20). He scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading Duke to a stunning upset victory. What does the future hold for Jordan Hall? 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. PAYTON'S PLACE:These are Payton Pritchard's 5 favorite games from his senior season. Laettner's time with the Hawks was marked by frequent injuries, and he never quite regained his previous level of play. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1992 to 2005. This was all about revenge for MJ who closed out the series with 45 points on 16-of-23 shooting. Barkley submitted averages of 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. After retiring from the NBA in 2005, it hasnt gotten much better for Laettner. Wise counsel indeed. Even the big guys were hauling," the 6-foot-11 Laettner said. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. He finished with 125 points for the entire tournament. 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. After his college career, Laettner enjoyed a successful 13-year NBA career with six different teams. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Get this Asheville Citizen-Times page for free from Monday, April 1, 1991 ; Baseball5D Sports Fax251-0585 Monday, April 1, 1991 Dnke. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In his NBA career, Laettner averaged 8.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. 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. There were 16 ties. In the Elite Eight, they played a tough Kentucky team and the game went into overtime. It is safe to say that his high expectations were not met and that he may have fallen short because of how highly people thought of him at the start of his career. 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. First, it must be a significant game. Johnson and Majerle would never get the chance to play in an NBA Finals again. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. And we havent even talked about Gary Payton who isnt on this list because he won a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006. But everything will be just fine. Johnson was a top-notch point guard, an All-Star who was superior to any of Chicagos playmakers. Christian Donald Laettner Twitter : laettnerbball Position: Power Forward and Center Shoots: Right 6-11 , 235lb (211cm, 106kg) Born: August 17 , 1969 in Angola, New York us More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 1x All Star 1992-93 All-Rookie 32 32 32 32 44 44 SUMMARY Career G 868 PTS 12.8 TRB 6.7 AST 2.6 FG% 48.0 FG3% 26.1 FT% 82.0 eFG% 48.6 Do you have a sports website? He played 13 seasons in the NBA for 6 different teams. Christian Laettner PPG 12.8 RPG 6.7 APG 2.6 HEIGHT 6'11" (2.11m) WEIGHT 245lb (111kg) COUNTRY USA LAST ATTENDED Duke BIRTHDATE August 17, 1969 DRAFT 1992 R1 Pick 3 EXPERIENCE 14 Years Stats. 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. In Laettner's senior year, the Blue Devils went 34-2 and 14-2 in conference play. Christian Laettner enjoyed a successful college career with Duke, winning two National Championships. Jordan scored at least 41 points in four straight games, topping it off with a 55-point performance in Game 4. The Round Mound of Rebound was named the MVP to the chagrin of Jordan who wanted to win it for the third straight season. In context, though, his appearance on perhaps the greatest squadof all-time is somewhat defensible.
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