However, injuries derailed his career in his later years, and he was never able to live up to his full potential. Duke was led by Bobby Hurley, Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and Phil Henderson. But Jordan had more to give as he nearly had a triple-double with nine rebounds and eight assists. "It was someone else.". 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. -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. The 1989 and 1991 Knicks were ill-equipped to challenge the Bulls and both teams would flame out in six and three games, respectively. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The Christian Laettner NBA career started brightly with Minnesota Timberwolves, as he averaged 18.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Christian Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player. Related Read: How tall is christian bale? Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Mullin needed to win as his illustrious career was near its end by this time. Duke called time-out, however, and on the inbounds play, Grant Hill threw a near court-length pass to Laettner, who caught it at the top of the key, dribbled twice, turned, and hit an 18-foot turn-around jumper as time expired, giving the Blue Devils the victory, 103-102. On Aug. 13, the 1992 gold medal "Dream Team" will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield . Christian Laettner averaged 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. The Bulls were tested and hardened by the Pacers in the previous series that went to a Game 7 (see number 6 of this list). After his college career, Laettner enjoyed a successful 13-year NBA career with six different teams. The Bulls had other plans, though, and they dispatched the Cavaliers by winning the next two games. Any action you take based on the information found on cgaa.org is strictly at your discretion. 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. John Laettner is not in the NBA Hall of Fame. During the 1997 All-Star Game, the finger-wagging Mutombo baited Jordan by saying that MJ had never dunked on him, not even once. 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. The Blue Devils lost in the Final Four and in the national championship game in Laettner's freshman and sophomore years, respectively. Laettner also had seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Overall, Laettner's career was disappointing, as he never amounted to anything more than a below-average player. It was an adjustment for about one minute of the first practice, said Laettner, whose career had been spent as a first option, not the 12th. These are solid but unspectacular numbers, especially for a player who was never named an All-Star or selected to an All-NBA team. He even found time to add 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest. History was made. Starks was clueless on how to stop the rampaging Bull and he remained unshackled until the series was over. After retiring from the NBA in 2005, it hasnt gotten much better for Laettner. MORE: Complete roster, history behind"Dream Team". "He's going to be great," Garfinkel said. 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. Majerle made a living at the three-point line and was a tough, hard-nosed defender capable of shutting down opponents. 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. 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. 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. A NBA Championship ring is a, Read More How Much Does a NBA Ring Cost?Continue, ContentsThe teamsThe Los Angeles LakersThe Miami HeatThe playersLeBron JamesAnthony DavisJimmy ButlerThe coachesFrank VogelErik SpoelstraThe historyThe Lakers in the FinalsThe Heat in the FinalsThe predictionsWho will win? Christian Laettner enjoyed a successful college career with Duke, winning two National Championships. 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! 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. 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 Laettner's senior year, the Blue Devils went 34-2 and 14-2 in conference play. In the NBA, Laettner's highest blocks game was 5, which he achieved on 3 separate occasions. Lenny Wilkens had a successful career as a coach following his career as a player. Price, Nance, and Daugherty played great basketball and the series was tied 2-2 after four games. The Indiana Pacers of 1998 had the best chance of any team to dethrone the Bulls in the 1990s. Christian Donald Laettner ( / letnr /, LAYT-nr; born August 17, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. He also played in 21 playoff games, starting in 12 of them. Laettner told the "Rich Eisen Show" last year. Christian Laettner was born in Angola, New York. Here are the top 10 stars, pairs, trios, and ensembles who never won a championship because of Michael Jordan. The following year, Jordan once again used his superhuman abilities to post insane averages in the semifinals, crushing the Sixers, 4-1. PHILADELPHIA (AP) Christian Laettner has made the shots of two lifetimes. Malone is widely considered to be the second greatest power forward of all-time, next only to Tim Duncan. Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. Miller was tough to cover as he would run through so many screens all designed to set him free for his lethal jumpers. That season, Laettner played in all 82 games and averaged double figures in points and rebounds, something he would do only one other time in his career. As a freshman, he helped lead the Blue Devils to the NCAA championship game, where they lost to Danny Manning and Kansas. His father told him to take the lead and let everyone else follow. Christian Laettner enjoyed a successful college career with Duke, winning two National Championships. Laettner led Duke University to two NCAA titles, one runner-up finish and one final four appearances. Even the big guys were hauling, the 6-foot-11 Laettner said. pic.twitter.com/Pwtvqx29oJ. What Year Did Christian Laettner Win The Mvp - Christian Laettner Jerseys Blog What Year Did Christian Laettner Win The Mvp The particular 69 forwards from the University or college regarding Mn was your primary circular decide on (14th overall) of this Ut Jazz music within the 2005 NBA Set up In the first round of the 1988 NBA Playoffs, Jordan lit them up for 50 and 55 points in the first two games. This was all about revenge for MJ who closed out the series with 45 points on 16-of-23 shooting. The Golden State Warriors finished the 2015-2016 season with a 73-9 record, one of the best . The Dream Team went 8-0, averaging 117.2 points a game and winning by an average of 43.7. 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? When he channels that energy to the next play in a positive manner, that puts him at a very high level. 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. ", Former Nichols High School coach Jim Kramer (December 1987): "Christian is being called the heir-apparent to Danny Ferry at Duke. Laettner's knack for hitting clutch shots started long before he arrived in Durham. There were 16 ties. 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. The Knicks took the first two games on their home floor. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Hindsight certainly makes the decision look strange. Laettner's final two seasons in the NBA were spent with the Pistons and the Washington Wizards, before he retired in 2005. Down 103-102 in overtime against Kentucky with a . Sadly, Barkley would never play in the NBA Finals again and continued to be ringless until he retired. The man-child known as Kemp was one of the NBAs best dunkers and one of its most ferocious finishers on the fastbreak. 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. He has since gone on to business success. 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. He is a graduate of Indiana University. But the Bulls would bounce back to win the next four games to take the series by the horns. Of the rest of the players, Chris Mullin has been nominated several times, and remains a strong candidate. He was born and raised in Angola, New York (near Buffalo and Niagara Falls). The Jazz had another chance in 1998 and they didnt waste time showing that they were a better team after their previous experience. He had just won the Wooden Award and back-to-back national championships at Duke. Christian used to play basketball in his early years. Johnson was a top-notch point guard, an All-Star who was superior to any of Chicagos playmakers. Get this Asheville Citizen-Times page for free from Monday, April 1, 1991 ; Baseball5D Sports Fax251-0585 Monday, April 1, 1991 Dnke. -Some argue that Laettners induction would be more about his accomplishments at Duke than anything he did as a professional player. Related Read: Are the duffer brothers christian? But even when His Airness couldnt take flight because of stomach flu in Game 5, he still managed to score 38 points, including the deciding three-pointer with about 25 seconds to go. Three of the four coaches are also enshrined. 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. He owns the second-most career points in NBA history with 36,928. Laettner was named to the 1992 Dream Team as the only collegiate player on the squad and went on to play 13 seasons in the NBA with one All-Star appearance. Laettner's best years statistically were his first two years in the NBA. He is best known for his time with the Detroit Pistons, where he won two NBA championships. 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 would go on to have a very successful career, but this game would always stand out as his best individual performance. Throughout his career, he averaged 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Since he retired from the NBA in 2005, Laettner has largely stayed out of the public eye. 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. 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. I wanted to face it again, I wanted to challenge it again. -Laettner was an incredibly successful college player, winning two national championships with Duke and being named National Player of the Year in 1992. While he did last 13 years in the league and did make an All-Star team, to Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times. Laettner's scoring outburst was a big reason why the Atlanta Hawks were able to come away with a 112-102 victory. In his NBA career, Laettner averaged 8.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. Michael Jordan would have his revenge in the epic 1993 NBA Finals. In his career, Laettner had 14 assists in a game four times. Laettner's final two seasons in the NBA were spent with the Pistons and the Washington Wizards, before he retired in 2005. 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. He wisely didnt call a timeout to keep the Jazz from setting up their defense. He, too, was an All-Star. The combined 370 points scored in the Pistons 186-184 triple-overtime win over the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 13, 1983, has to be pretty high on the list. Christian Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player. 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. He is the only player to be a starter in four Final Fours. I was definitely on the lower end of the scale, he said. 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. Laettner led Duke University to two NCAA titles, one runner-up finish and one final four appearances. That buzzer-beater shocked the Cavaliers, one that the team would never recover from. "But then I had to come to the realization that I was a more explosive, more powerful player, but Christian Laettner was a little bit more fundamentally sound than I was. Armed with his Killer Crossover, Hardaway left opponents in the dust as he found ways to punish them time and time again. But Jordan thrived on adversity and the tide quickly changed with the Bulls capturing the next three games. Laettner's best season statistically was his rookie year when he averaged 16.0 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game. The Christian Laettner NBA career then bounced around the league as he spent time . He played for six teams during his NBA career: the Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards and Miami Heat. After hearing the quotes that analysts like Jay Bilas said to Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times about Laettner, you would think that hed be destined for greatness in the NBA. Find out more. He knew when to score and when to pass the ball.
