All rights reserved (About Us). 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. Why is he considered one of the best college basketball players of all time? The Ultimate March Madness Trivia Challenge - Pro Sports Quiz He hounded the superstar throughout the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals. home/away, monthly, etc More Christian Laettner Basketball Reference pages, Compare Christian Laettner to other players. 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. The Dream Team went to Barcelona to restore the pre-eminence of U.S. basketball. He averaged 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for his career. He played for the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) from 1994 to 1998. AP Was There: Laettner's shot stuns Kentucky in OT, 104-103 - Yahoo! 3) How many titles did Christian Laettner win at Duke? He is also part of the FIBA Hall of Fame and the US Olympic Hall of Fame and was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame for his achievements in college. Find out more. Get viral NBA graphics, memes, rumors and trending news delivered right to your inbox with the Clutch Newsletter. Johnson and Majerle would never get the chance to play in an NBA Finals again. Hardaway and the Heat had the misfortune of going up against some of the best Bulls teams in the 1996 and 1997 NBA Playoffs. Amy Sancetta/AP. 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. As a junior, Laettners numbers dipped a bit as he shared the spotlight with fellow future NBA players Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. He had five offensive rebounds, grabbing some of them during the most crucial plays of the game. Laettner, Hill, Bobby Hurley, Thomas Hill, Antonio Lang, Cherokee Parks, Brian Davis, and Erik Meek were drafted into the NBA, with Laettner, Hill, Hurley, and Parks ending up as lottery picks. In context, though, his appearance on perhaps the greatest squadof all-time is somewhat defensible. How Christian Laettner got to Duke - ESPN.com Karl Malone averaged 38.8 points per game in his NBA career. But an objective look at a player whom fans loved to hate says he should be. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1992 to 2005. But Malone and Stockton werent done yet. 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. If I took 20 shots in the whole tournament, no one acted like (it wasnt his place). 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). Christian Laettner was a senior at Duke in 1991 and 1992. 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. He averaged at least 16 points and seven rebounds in each of his first five years in the league. On Aug. 13, the 1992 gold medal "Dream Team" will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield . Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The Olympic Channel original series features Olympic legends who have just one week to turn around a struggling youth team. Christian Laettner Position: Center 6-11 , 235lb (211cm, 106kg) School: Duke (Men) Draft: Minnesota Timberwolves, 1st round (3rd pick, 3rd overall), 1992 NBA draft 2x NCAA Champion 2x NCAA All-Tourney 4x NCAA All-Region NCAA Tourney MOP HS Parade AA 1991-92 AP POY 2x Consensus AA Wooden Award Naismith Award Rupp Trophy SUMMARY Career G 148 PTS 16.6 Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Get to know him better in this blog. Last year, I was able to believe it because we were up by eight with 10 seconds left. He scored 31 points (13-25 from the field), grabbed 18 rebounds and had an unbelievable 16 blocked shots. - 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? Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. 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. This was all about revenge for MJ who closed out the series with 45 points on 16-of-23 shooting. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. The All-American ended one of the greatest college basketball games ever with a turnaround jumper at the overtime. It's great, because he still has that kind of enthusiasm. Duke was led by no other than Coach K. This game famously ended with UNLV giving Duke the largest loss in NCAA Tournament history, 103-73. Laettner was infamously chosen for the 1992 Olympics . 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. Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. ", Larry Felser of the Buffalo News (March 1989): "His performance in Duke's victory over Georgetown Easter Sunday makes it fairly clear that Christian Laettner could end up ranking with Bob Lanier as the greatest basketball player ever to come out of Buffalo. In his NBA career, Laettner averaged eight blocks per game. Was Christian Laettner's Buzzer-Beater the Greatest Shot in NCAA Michael Jordan had a long and grueling road to get to the top of the NBA. After his playing career ended, Laettner became a successful businessman and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. Three of the four coaches are also enshrined. The man-child known as Kemp was one of the NBAs best dunkers and one of its most ferocious finishers on the fastbreak. Sustaining excellence in men's college basketball is no easy task. But perhaps those high expectations for Laettner got in his head and were just too lofty for him to live up to. The Bulls had other plans, though, and they dispatched the Cavaliers by winning the next two games. They had a big opportunity in 1992 when the Cavaliers reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Many great players deserved to win the championship as much as he did. Sadly, Barkley would never play in the NBA Finals again and continued to be ringless until he retired. Learn more and register. Christian Laettner was born in Angola, New York. Christian Laettner was born on August 17, 1969. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. Here are the top 10 stars, pairs, trios, and ensembles who never won a championship because of Michael Jordan. He finished with 125 points for the entire tournament. Johnson and Majerle would never get the chance to play in an NBA Finals again. More than any other franchise, Jordan owned the Cavaliers during his run towards a championship. For one thing, if you got the ball passed to you with that lineup, it meant you were pretty wide open.. He said keeps his medal in a safe at home and almost never takes it out. Christian Laettner had started playing professional basketball in 1992 and played till 2012, where he also worked as an assistant coach at Fort Wayne Mad Ants in 2012. ", Laettner on missing potential game-tying free throws against Arizona in a loss: "The whole Arizona game was the turning point for me. Get this Asheville Citizen-Times page for free from Monday, April 1, 1991 ; Baseball5D Sports Fax251-0585 Monday, April 1, 1991 Dnke. Led by one of the best defenders in NBA history in Mutombo, they had a scoring point guard in Blaylock who was an All-Defensive Team member as well. 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. 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). 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. Very much so. Johnson was a top-notch point guard, an All-Star who was superior to any of Chicagos playmakers. In the 1992 NBA draft, Christian Laettner was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Christian Laettner is one of the most accomplished college basketball players in the history of the sport. 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. Christian Laettner was one of the most beloved and celebrated basketball players of his era. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team that year. The six-game series showed that Barkley was a star that belonged on the big stage. 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 definitely on the lower end of the scale, he said. The Jordan Dynasty lasted for six years with two years separating the two three-peats. As a result, the forward has downplayed his participation on the historic team. This led to him being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he continued to struggle. Stockton, meanwhile, is the best pure point guard in league history. He was a key player on some good teams, and was named to the All-Rookie First Team. Very few NBA players were as worthy of an NBA title as Ewing. The shot: 25 years ago, Christian Laettner hit the swish for the ages The smaller and quicker guys give me a lot of trouble. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Every March Madness montage features his 15-foot turnaround jumper that capped off a historic game in NCAA Tournament history. He owns the most number of assists with 15,806 and steals with 3,265. Starks was clueless on how to stop the rampaging Bull and he remained unshackled until the series was over. In Laettner's highest scoring game in the NBA, he scored 40 points against the Charlotte Hornets. Christian Laettner age, height, weight, net worth 2023, wife, kids, gay The eighth-seeded Wildcats defeated the Georgetown Hoyas, 66 to 64. But Jordan thrived on adversity and the tide quickly changed with the Bulls capturing the next three games. The biggest adjustment was the speed. The next year he averaged 27.8 points and 17.5 rebounds per game. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Does he take the lead, or does he get everyone else involved first in the first few minutes of Game 7? ", Laettner: "When Coach K grabbed me, I felt really special at that point. While he did last 13 years in the league and did make an All-Star team, to Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times. Mullin needed to win as his illustrious career was near its end by this time. He averaged 12.8 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game over his NBA career. Twenty-seven years ago today, Duke's Christian Laettner swished perhaps the most famous shot in NCAA Tournament history. Was Christian Laettner good in the NBA? Ewing was as good as ever, averaging 25.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. Christian Laettner's buzzer beater knocks out Kentucky and sends Duke Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina Page 19 Laettner had 14 points and four assists in that game as well. 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 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. Dikembe Mutombo, Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith, and Christian Laettner. Here's everything you need to know about Christian Laettner's college career at Duke. The ball went in the hoop. Christian Laettner: College basketball stats, best moments, quotes Laettner finished with 31 points and 7 rebounds, shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from both the field and charity stripe.. CBS' Verne Lundquist delivered the all-time call. Laettner had a solid NBA career, making the All-Rookie team in 1993, and the 1997 All-Star Game. After finishing as a two-time state champion for the Nichols School (Buffalo, N.Y.), he became one of the most well-known basketball . He was drafted third overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves and managed to make the NBA All-Rookie first team in his debut season. Price, Nance, and Daugherty played great basketball and the series was tied 2-2 after four games. It was just such a sudden thing. 9. He played 13 seasons in the NBA for 6 different teams. No matter how often everyones seen it, no one seems to have found a solution to it for more than a decade. In Game 7, His Airness was grounded by great defense from the Pacers who gave him different looks. 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. His no. He also had a long and successful college career, winning 2 NCAA Championships with Duke University. MORE: Marquette's Markus Howard picks his five most memorable moments in college. After retiring from the NBA in 2005, it hasnt gotten much better for Laettner. Christian Laettner still values high school titles as much as Duke's The Phoenix Suns were Americas darlings during the 1992-93 season. That said, his inclusion is somewhat defensible given that the 1992 Olympics was the first year in which NBA players were allowed to compete. -Laettner had a successful 13-year NBA career, averaging over 14 points per game during his time in the league. "I Hate Christian Laettner" And How The Arrogance Of The Duke Star Worked While he enjoyed a decorated career at Duke University and was a key member of the 1992 USA Olympic team, his NBA career failed to live up to expectations. After his college career, Laettner enjoyed a successful 13-year NBA career with six different teams. Twitter: Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Christian Laettner Brings Us Through 'The Shot' - nba.com 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. ", Former Duke guard Phil Henderson: "He doesn't play like a freshman, but he still has that giddiness about him. He is the only individual member of that team that is not currently in the Hall of Fame. In the Final Four, he went for 19 and 14 against Arkansas. The 1989 and 1991 Knicks were ill-equipped to challenge the Bulls and both teams would flame out in six and three games, respectively. But which one has the most followers on Instagram? He was traded again in 1999, this time to the Detroit Pistons. Here are the top matchups and tournaments to watch in the non-conference portion of the NCAA softball season. Mourning had 11 points and five rebounds. They were the most successful one-two punch the league had ever seen. 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. LaVale Laettner played four years at Duke. He is the only player to be a starter in four Final Fours. 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. Laettner ranks fifth all-time in Division I scoring at 24.3 points per game and fourth in rebounds at 10.0 rebounds per game. Christian Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player. The series was 2-0 in Chicagos favor days later. Everybody checked their egos at the door, and everybody on our team played basketball the right way, he said. He would go on to play for another four teams over the next seven years before ultimately retiring from the NBA in 2005. Russell Westbrook per Forbes, as of September 2019, Russell Westbrook has the most followers of any NBA player on, Read More What NBA Player Has the Most Followers on Instagram?Continue. This time, Starks was more prepared to take on the task of guarding Jordan. When it comes to championships, the two are infamous for having played the most playoff games without winning a title. Though they were the best of friends, MJ would cut his friends heart out during the playoffs three times in four years. Laettner's best years statistically were his first two years in the NBA. Christian Laettner Net Worth 2023 - NBA Salary & Earnings Christian Donald Laettner 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. Christian Laettner | Minnesota Timberwolves | NBA.com 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. What impact has he, Read More Jordan Hall: The NBAs Rising StarContinue, ContentsHow much does an average NBA ring cost?How much does the most expensive NBA ring cost?How are NBA rings made?How much does it cost to make an NBA ring?How many diamonds are in an NBA ring?What is the value of an NBA ring?Where can I buy an NBA ring? Laettner was always willing to do the dirty work and his rebounding totals reflect that. Furthermore, his career was largely defined by his collegiate success rather than his professional accomplishments. 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. Everyone should love Christian Laettner - FanSided He continued to be a productive player for the Timberwolves over the next few seasons, but was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 1996.