Christian Laettner

Template:Short description Template:Pp-pc Template:Pp-pc Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox basketball biography Christian Donald Laettner (Template:IPAc-en, Template:Respell; born August 17, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. His college career for the Duke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the best in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history.Template:Efn He was the star player on the back-to-back Duke National Championship teams of 1991 and 1992, and the NCAA player of the year in his senior year.<ref name="collegeHOF">Christian Laettner at the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame</ref> He is particularly famous for his game-winning shot against Kentucky in the 1992 tournament and for the hatred he received from opposing fans.

Laettner was the only collegian selected for the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, dubbed the "Dream Team", that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. As a member of the "Dream Team", Laettner is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, and FIBA Hall of Fame, while he is enshrined for his individual career in the College Basketball Hall of Fame. He was drafted third overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, then played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for six teams, being named as an All-Star in 1997.

Early life

Christian Laettner was born and raised in Angola, New York, near Buffalo and Niagara Falls, to a blue-collar Roman Catholic family.<ref name="Last Great Game">Template:Cite web Excerpted from The Last Great Game: Duke vs. Kentucky and the 2.1 Seconds that Changed Basketball, Blue Rider Books (imprint of Penguin Group USA), 2012.</ref> His father George, a newspaper press plant printer, was of Polish descent and his grandparents spoke Polish as their first language while his mother Bonnie was a teacher. Christian's older brother Christopher was a strong influence, often bullying young Christian, which helped instill a stern competitive drive.<ref name="30for30"/> Both boys also frequently worked as farm laborers to supplement their allowance.<ref name="Last Great Game"/>

File:Nichols School 1986 yearbook page 201, Laettner lay-up.jpg

Laettner making a lay-up as a sophomore at Nichols School

Laettner attended the private Nichols School. Although he received a financial aid package that paid a substantial part of his tuition, his family had to sacrifice to send him there and he also did janitorial work at the school to defray some of the cost.Template:Efn During his career he scored over 2,000 points, breaking the school record set by teammate Ron Torgalski,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the team won two state titles and reached another semifinal.<ref name="Last Great Game"/> He was the second player from Western New York to reach 2,000 points, falling short of Curtis Aiken's total of 2,162 set five years earlier.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was a much sought-after college recruit.Template:Efn

In 2009 as The Buffalo News celebrated 50 years of All-Western New York (WNY) basketball selections, Laettner, who was twice an All-WNY first team selection was named to the 1980s All-WNY first team along with Aiken, Gary Bossert, Keith Robinson and Ritchie Campbell<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was a first team selection for the All-time All-WNY team along with Aiken, Paul Harris, Bob Lanier and Mel Montgomery.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

College career

File:Duke MBB 1988-89 card - Christian Laettner front.jpg

A basketball card of Laettner from the 1988–89 season

Laettner attended Duke University and played for the basketball team from 1988 to 1992 under coach Mike Krzyzewski. As the team's star player his final two seasons, he led the Blue Devils to the first two national titles in school history.Template:Efn A four-year starter, he also contributed to their runner-up finish his sophomore year and Final Four appearance in his freshman year.Template:Efn Thus, in total, he played 23 out of a maximum possible 24 NCAA tournament games, winning 21; both are records.

For his career, Laettner averaged 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while making almost half of his three-pointers.<ref name="bbref">Laettner's Duke and NBA statistics at basketball-reference.com</ref> He scored 21.5 points per game his senior season, garnering every major national player of the year award; Duke retired his No. 32 jersey later that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His career is widely regarded as among the best in college history,Template:Efn and he is enshrined in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.<ref name="collegeHOF"/>

NCAA tournament records

• Most points scored: 407<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Most free throws made: 142
• Most free throw attempts: 167
• Most games won: 21
• Most games played: 23

Clutch performances

Laettner had several clutch performances in the NCAA tournament.<ref name="30for30"/> His most famous was the 1992 regional final against Kentucky, which was foreshadowed by the 1990 regional final against UConn; in both games Duke trailed by one point with two seconds remaining in overtime before Laettner made a jumper as time expired. He also swished the game-winning free throws against undefeated and heavily favored UNLV in the 1991 semifinal, which avenged UNLV's 30-point victory in the 1990 final. He then led Duke to its first championship, defeating Kansas in the final, and was selected as the tournament's most outstanding player.

In the 1992 East Regional Final, a game many critics rate among the greatest in college basketball history, Laettner hit a game-winning, buzzer-beating turn-around jumper that has since become known as simply The Shot.<ref name="30for30"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Over the course of the game, he shot a perfect ten of ten field goals and ten of ten free throws for 31 points. He then finished his college career by leading Duke to its second consecutive national title. The following year ESPN awarded him both "Outstanding Performance Under Pressure" and "College Basketball Play of the Year" for the Kentucky game, also awarding him "Outstanding College Basketball Performer of the Year".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The game-winning shot against Kentucky became a cultural icon, having been frequently televised in college basketball montages. Several companies have also featured it in their commercials.Template:Efn In 2006 The Best Damn Sports Show Period ranked it the fifth most memorable moment in sports history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Widely reviled

Laettner was widely reviled by opposing fans throughout his career, to the extent that more than 20 years after graduating from Duke, he was voted the most hated college basketball player in history in an ESPN online poll.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This led to ESPN's creation of the 30 for 30 documentary I Hate Christian Laettner that explored five factors that the filmmakers believe explain this widespread and persistent hatred: race, privilege, bullying, greatness, and physical appearance.<ref name="30for30"/> He was particularly resented for stepping on the chest of Kentucky player Aminu Timberlake during the 1992 regional final, which the referees deemed a technical foul; Laettner expressed regret for his misconduct but believed that ejection would have been too harsh a consequence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Professional career

Template:Expand section Selected third overall in 1992 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves,Template:Efn Laettner played 13 years in the NBA, from 1992 to 2005, scoring 11,121 points and grabbing 5,806 rebounds.<ref name="bbref"/> His first six seasons were his best, averaging 16.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while starting almost all of them. He also was selected to the All-Rookie First Team in 1993 and the All-Star Game in 1997 while with the Atlanta Hawks, having been traded to Atlanta in 1996 alongside Sean Rooks in exchange for Spud Webb and Andrew Lang. His time on the Hawks was his most successful NBA team experience, twice reaching the second round of the playoffs.<ref name="bbref"/>

Despite his achievements, Laettner's NBA career was characterized by relative transience.<ref name="30for30"/> He played for six different teams, was traded six times, and never spent more than four full seasons anywhere.<ref name="bbref"/> In 2004, he was suspended for several games for using marijuana.<ref name="NBAsuspension">CBC Sports. "NBA suspends Wizards' Laettner" January 15, 2004. Accessed February 6, 2008.</ref>

National team career

As the national player of the year, Laettner was the only collegian selected for the prestigious "Dream Team" that won the 1992 Olympic gold medal in a dominant fashion. He averaged 4.8 points per game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The team is considered one of the greatest in sports history<ref name="dream1">Template:Cite web</ref> and was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, FIBA Hall of Fame, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.<ref name="dreamHOF">Template:Cite web</ref>

Post-NBA basketball

Laettner maintains a close friendship with Duke teammate Brian Davis.<ref name="30for30"/> They have pursued several business ventures together, including real-estate development in Durham,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a Major League Soccer team,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Memphis Grizzlies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some legal problems, primarily regarding unpaid debts, have also occurred.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2010, Laettner was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1992 Dream Team. Laettner is the only player of the team who has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame individually.

Since 2011 he has operated numerous youth basketball training camps.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also played one season in a semi-pro league<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and briefly served as an assistant coach in the NBA Development League.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For The Z Team, an Olympic Channel reality show that has former Olympic athletes help struggling sports teams, he worked with the Garinger High School boys basketball team for a week.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Laettner lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and is an avid muskellunge fisherman.<ref>30 Seconds with Christian Laettner, nytimes.com, March 29, 2009.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Best, Neil. Christian Laettner doesn't hate the film ‘I Hate Christian Laettner’. Newsday. Retrieved March 15, 2015.</ref>

He is divorced with three children.<ref>Christian Laettner Sued His Own Business for $10 Million. Now Some Former Partners Are Suing Him. David Hudnall, Indy Week March 9, 2016</ref>

He has donated large sums to his alma maters.Template:Efn

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Template:NBA player statistics start |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota | 81 || 81 || 34.9 || .474 || .100 || .835 || 8.7 || 2.8 || 1.3 || 1.0 || 18.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota | 70 || 67 || 34.7 || .448 || .240 || .783 || 8.6 || 4.4 || 1.2 || 1.2 || 16.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota | 81 || 80 || 34.2 || .489 || .325 || .818 || 7.6 || 2.9 || 1.2 || 1.1 || 16.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota | 44 || 44 || 34.5 || .486 || .290 || .816 || 6.9 || 2.9 || .9 || 1.0 || 18.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta | 30 || 27 || 32.6 || .489 || .000 || .823 || 7.9 || 2.3 || 1.0 || .9 || 14.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta | 82 || style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || 38.3 || .486 || .352 || .816 || 8.8 || 2.7 || 1.2 || .8 || 18.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta | 74 || 49 || 30.8 || .485 || .222 || .864 || 6.6 || 2.6 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 13.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Detroit | 16 || 0 || 21.1 || .358 || .333 || .772 || 3.4 || 1.5 || .9 || .8 || 7.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Detroit | 82 || style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || 29.8 || .473 || .292 || .812 || 6.7 || 2.3 || 1.0 || .5 || 12.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Dallas | 53 || 35 || 17.5 || .511 || .333 || .817 || 4.0 || 1.3 || .8 || .5 || 7.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Washington | 25 || 13 || 29.3 || .491 || .300 || .844 || 6.1 || 2.3 || 1.2 || .8 || 13.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Washington | 57 || 48 || 25.3 || .464 || .200 || .868 || 5.3 || 2.6 || 1.1 || .4 || 7.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Washington | 76 || 66 || 29.1 || .494 || .125 || .833 || 6.6 || 3.1 || 1.1 || .5 || 8.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Washington | 48 || 18 || 20.5 || .465 || .286 || .800 || 4.8 || 1.9 || .8 || .6 || 5.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Miami | 49 || 0 || 15.1 || .582 || .143 || .763 || 2.7 || .8 || .7 || .3 || 5.3 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 868 || 692 || 29.7 || .480 || .261 || .820 || 6.7 || 2.6 || 1.1 || .8 || 12.8 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|All-Star | 1 || 0 || 24.0 || .600 || Template:Sort || 1.000 || 11.0 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 7.0 Template:S-end

Playoffs

Template:NBA player statistics start |- | style="text-align:left;"|1996 | style="text-align:left;”|Atlanta | 10 || 10 || 33.4 || .484 || .333 || .704 || 6.9 ||1.5 || 1.2 || 1.0 || 15.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1997 | style="text-align:left;”|Atlanta | 10 || 10 || 40.3 || .418 || .190 || .857 || 7.2 || 2.6 || 1.0 || .8 || 17.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1998 | style="text-align:left;”|Atlanta | 4 || 0 || 21.8 || .343 || .000 || .882 || 4.3 || 1.0 || 1.5 || .3 || 9.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1999 | style="text-align:left;”|Detroit | 5 || 0 || 24.6 || .426 || Template:Sort || .786 || 2.8 || 2.2 || .8 || .2 || 10.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2000 | style="text-align:left;”|Detroit | 3 || 3 || 25.0 || .412 || Template:Sort || .750 || 5.0 || 2.0 || .0 || .3 || 6.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2005 | style="text-align:left;”|Miami | 13 || 0 || 10.5 || .500 || .000 || .833 || 1.9 || .5 || .3 || .0 || 2.2 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 45 || 23 || 25.7 || .432 || .179 || .794 || 4.7 || 1.5 || .8 || .5 || 10.5 Template:S-end

College

Template:NBA player statistics start |- | style="text-align:left;"|1988–89 | style="text-align:left;"|Duke | 36 || 16 || 16.9 || .723 || 1.000 || .727 || 4.7 || 1.2 || 1.0 || .8 || 8.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1989–90 | style="text-align:left;"|Duke | 38 || 38 || 29.9 || .511 || .500 || .836 || 9.6 || 2.2 || 1.6 || 1.1 || 16.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1990–91 | style="text-align:left;"|Duke | 39 || 39 || 30.2 || .575 || .340 || .802 || 8.7 || 1.9 || 1.9 || 1.1 || 19.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1991–92 | style="text-align:left;"|Duke | 35 || 35 || 32.2 || .575 || .557 || .815 || 7.9 || 2.0 || 2.1 || .9 || 21.5 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 148 || 128 || 27.4 || .574 || .485 || .806 || 7.8 || 1.8 || 1.6 || 1.0 || 16.6 Template:S-end

Awards and honors

NBA

• NBA All-Star (Template:Nasg)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (Template:Nbay)

USA Basketball

• Summer Olympics gold medal winner (1992)
• Pan American Games bronze medal winner (1991)
• FIBA World Championship bronze medal winner (1990)
• Tournament of the Americas gold medal winner (1992)
• Tournament of the Americas silver medal winner (1989)
• Goodwill Games silver medal winner (1990)

NCAA

• 2× NCAA champion (1991, 1992)
• NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1991)
• Consensus National College Player of the Year (1992)
• Consensus first-team All-American (1992)
• Consensus second-team All-American (1991)
• 2× NCAA final Four All-Tournament Team) (1991, 1992)
• ACC Player of the Year (1992)
• ACC Player of the Year (1992)
• 2× ACC Athlete of the Year (1991, 1992)
• 2× First-team All-ACC (1991, 1992)
• Second-team All-ACC (1990)
• ACC tournament MVP 1992
• Oscar Robertson Trophy (1992)
• NABC Player of the Year (1992)
• NABC Player of the Year (1992)
• John R. Wooden Award (1992)
• Naismith College Player of the Year (1992)
• No. 32 jersey retired by Duke in 1992

Media

• Sporting News College Player of the Year (1992)
• AP College Basketball Player of the Year (1992)

Halls of Fame

• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team")
• U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (class of 2009 as a member of the "Dream Team")
• FIBA Hall of Fame (class of 2017 as a member of the "Dream Team")
• College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2010)
• National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame (class of 2008)<ref>Christian Laettner Template:Webarchive at the Polish Sports HOF</ref>

See also

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career games played leaders
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career free throw scoring leaders