And who did Duke beat that year? Miller was tough to cover as he would run through so many screens all designed to set him free for his lethal jumpers. Jordan went to work once again. 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. us, High School: He is also the only player in NCAA history to have started in four consecutive Final Fours. 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. Chicago took the next three games to take a commanding 3-1 series lead heading into Game 5. It's just compared to his counterparts, he accomplished little at the pro level. 1992: A moment burned into the heads of all college basketball fans: Christian Laettners turn-around buzzer-beater to lift @DukeMBB over Kentucky. He had five offensive rebounds, grabbing some of them during the most crucial plays of the game. How does he compare to other young players in the league? Coach K's squad won the East Regional Final and beat Indiana in the Final Four. Below we take a look at some of the arguments for and against his induction into the Hall. 32 jersey was retired by Duke and was also awarded the USA Male Basketball Athlete of the Year award in 1991. Many great players deserved to win the championship as much as he did. 2 pick in the 2002 draft by . 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. By 1993, the Bulls already knew what to expect from the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. -Some argue that Laettners induction would be more about his accomplishments at Duke than anything he did as a professional player. Hindsight certainly makes the decision look strange. In the end, Jordan could be seen breathing heavily and tugging at his shorts. I've got to check out Duke. 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? His role as the 12th man on the greatest team in basketball history has not diminished Christian Laettners appreciation of the experience. The Bulls eliminated the Sixers easily in five games. The series was tied 3-3 when Jordan asked for advice from his dad. The Bulls celebrated their 6th championship on Utahs home floor, keeping the Jazz from a championship once again. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. inAngola,New York We can not guarantee its completeness or reliability so please use caution. It was an NCAA type game, a very intense game. 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. He is also third all-time in total field goals made (2,759) and sixth all-time in assists (2,157). 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. However, Laettners time in the NBA was relatively short-lived. He led the Seattle SuperSonics to their only NBA Championship in 1979. Being a top-notch shooting guard, Christian Laettner won a ton of awards. Christian Laettner was drafted 3rd overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1992 NBA Draft. Malone and Stockton were their usual sensational selves, taking the middle games for the Jazz to tie the series at two games apiece. Johnson and Majerle would never get the chance to play in an NBA Finals again. ", 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. He was selected third overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1992; he remains one of only two college players (Manning being the other) to be drafted in the first round without having played in either the McDonalds All-American Game or the Nike Camps (the latter did not exist until 1987). Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Laettner shot an extremely efficient 17-23 from the field, including 3-5 from three-point range. Laettner had a solid NBA career, making the All-Rookie team in 1993, and the 1997 All-Star Game. After his second season, his scoring and rebounding numbers both declined slightly and remained fairly consistent for the rest of his NBA career. Christian Laettner won two titles at Duke. He played 23 out of 24 possible NCAA games during his 4-year tenure, winning 21 of them. Johnson was a top-notch point guard, an All-Star who was superior to any of Chicagos playmakers. Basketball Team USA, Duke and NBA legend Christian Laettner is one of the Olympic 'Super Coaches' of the second season of The Z Team. 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. Laettner led Duke University to two NCAA titles, one runner-up finish and one final four appearances. Later that year in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Hawks tied the series against the Bulls at 1-1, showing them that they had the firepower to keep up with the NBAs best team. 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. In his NBA career, Laettner averaged 3.8 assists per game. On the Jazz next possession, Jordan knew Stockton would pass to Malone on the block, so he snuck up on him as soon as the pass was delivered. This was the first time that the tournament moved to 64 teams and it has stayed that way ever since. 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. In addition, Laettner was never considered one of the best players in his generation. Trailing 101-100, Kentucky forward Sean Woods hit a shot in the lane to put Kentucky ahead 102-101 and seemingly win the game for the Wildcats, as only 2.1 seconds remained. John Laettner is not in the NBA Hall of Fame. 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. 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. Finally, Laettner was known to be arrogant and aloof, which rubbed some people the wrong way. On Aug. 13, the 1992 gold medal "Dream Team" will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield . Christian Laettner is best remembered for his outstanding college career at Duke, where he helped lead the team to two NCAA Championships. It was in this first round series that Jordan made The Shot at the buzzer to advance to the next round. Its been over 20 years since Christian Laettner donned a NBA uniform, yet the 46-year-old former player remains a controversial figure in the basketball world. He played at Nichols School in Buffalo, and then at Duke University from 1988 to 1992. The Christian Laettner NBA career started brightly with Minnesota Timberwolves, as he averaged 18.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. In the NBA, Laettner's highest rebounding game was on March 3, 1993, when he had 24 rebounds against the Indiana Pacers. He dribbles behind his back and hustles more than a shopping clerk at Christmas. All rights reserved (About Us). Laettner's best season statistically was his rookie year when he averaged 16.0 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game. After a successful college career, Laettner was drafted into the NBA by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1992. ", Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski: "We recruited him for a long time. Plus he stayed all four years and graduated. He was a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"), which won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Michael Jordan would have his revenge in the epic 1993 NBA Finals. 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. All information published on this website is provided in good faith and for general use only. As the NBA Finals approach, everyone is wondering who will come out on top. He was born and raised in Angola, New York (near Buffalo and Niagara Falls). After the Olympics, Laettner joined the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA, playing with them from 1992-96. From 1991-93 and 1996-98, His Airness took on all challengers to the throne and vanquished them all. ContentsThe Highest Paid NBA coachesThe NBAs highest-paid coachesThe top 10 highest-paid NBA coachesWho are the highest paid NBA coaches?The 5 highest paid NBA coachesThe 10 highest paid NBA coachesWho are the NBAs highest-paid coaches?The NBAs top 10 highest-paid coachesThe highest paid coaches in the NBAThe top 5 highest paid NBA coaches Who are the highest, Read More The Highest Paid NBA CoachesContinue, ContentsThe Top Games to Watch on NBAs Opening NightThe Top Games to Watch on Christmas DayThe Top Games to Watch During the NBAs Regular SeasonThe Top Games to Watch During the NBAs PlayoffsThe Top Games to Watch During the NBAs FinalsThe Top Games to Watch When Your favorite team is PlayingThe Top Games to Watch, Read More NBA May 17: The Top Games to WatchContinue, ContentsIntroductionWhat is Panhandle Basketball?The History of Panhandle BasketballThe Panhandle Basketball ProgramThe Panhandle Basketball TeamThe Panhandle Basketball LeagueThe Panhandle Basketball TournamentThe Panhandle Basketball CourtThe Panhandle Basketball FansThe Future of Panhandle Basketball If you Love Basketball then the Panhandle is the place to be! I was pissed off. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. A story published in The Tampa Tribune in December 1987 noted how Laettner's Nichols School team competed in the Kingdom of the Sun Holiday Classic in Ocala, Florida, and Laettner scored 39 points, capped off by a jumper at the buzzer that give his team a 70-69 win. ", More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Duke beat Kentucky 104-103 . He is best known for his time with the Detroit Pistons, where he won two NBA championships. Mourning had 11 points and five rebounds. Laettner led Duke University to two NCAA titles, one runner-up finish and one final four appearances. He played on two NCAA champions and holds several tournament records. However, the Christian Laettner NBA career failed to reach the same statistical heights after spending four seasons in Minnesota. So why did Laettner never really find success in the NBA? Christian Laettner enjoyed a successful college career with Duke, winning two National Championships. Why is he considered a rising star in the NBA? He enjoyed a lengthy NBA career, appearing in 868 games, scoring over 11,000 points and grabbing nearly 6,000 rebounds. The next year, Ewing brought the Knicks back to the playoffs and was on a collision course with the Bulls again. The Olympic Channel original series features Olympic legends who have just one week to turn around a struggling youth team. As a sophomore, Laettner was even better. When he channels that energy to the next play in a positive manner, that puts him at a very high level. ", Krzyzewski: "Christian is very intelligent. Ultimately, Christian Laettners legacy will be defined by his successes and failures both on and off the court. - 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? But among the stars, it was Jordan who shined the brightest. The ball went in the hoop. In his career, Laettner had 14 assists in a game four times. I wanted to face it again, I wanted to challenge it again. Overall, Christian Laettner had a solid NBA career. He was named First Team All-ACC and First Team All-American. Starks was clueless on how to stop the rampaging Bull and he remained unshackled until the series was over. With his follow-through in perfect form, number 23 scored his 45th point of the ballgame to give them an 87-86 lead. Unfortunately, the answer is no. "He's going to be great," Garfinkel said. He also racked up an All-Star appearance in 1997 but failed to do anything else of note during his NBA career. I have half a brain. If his place on the 1992 U.S. roster seems curious to some who question why even one collegian was kept (while NBA stars including Isiah Thomas were left off), his teammates recognized his value. They were the most unfortunate of any franchise to have run into the Bulls during that stretch, facing them four times in six years. But Michael Jordan was more than any man could handle. He even found time to add 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest. Laettern was the only collegian chosen for the original US basketball Dream Team that dominated the opposition at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. PAYTON'S PLACE:These are Payton Pritchard's 5 favorite games from his senior season. 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. You can watch the legendary ending of the 1992 Duke-Kentucky game below.