Christian Laettner
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Biography
Christian Laettner was drafted third overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves after Shaquille O'Neal (1st overall) and Alonzo Mourning (2nd overall) in the 1992 NBA Draft. During his 13-year NBA career he was a member of the Timberwolves, the Atlanta Hawks, the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors (though he never played a game for them), and most recently the Miami Heat. He developed into a good NBA player at the center and forward positions, was voted into the all-rookie-team in 1993 and became an all-star in 1997. Yet he never became a superstar as some had expected – in stark contrast to the two centers drafted ahead of him in 1992. After missing most of the 1998-99 season due to an injury, his playing time and numbers declined. He finished his career in 2004-05 backing up Shaquille O'Neal.
College Career
Laettner is especially known for his game-winning last-second jump shot in Duke's dramatic 104-103 victory over Kentucky in the East regional final of the 1992 NCAA Division I Men's Tournament, acclaimed by many as the "greatest college basketball game ever played." Footage of Laettner's buzzer-beater shot is frequently included in televised montages depicting college basketball and the NCAA tournament, and in 2003 it was used in a nationally televised commercial by Allstate. In the game as a whole, Laettner made ten of ten shots from the field and ten of ten from the free throw line. His performance in the game as a whole earned him a 1993 ESPY Award for "Outstanding Performance Under Pressure," and the shot in particular received the 1993 ESPY for "College Basketball Play of the Year." Laettner also received the 1993 ESPY for "Outstanding College Basketball Performer of the Year." The shot was also named the most memorable basketball shot of all-time (including the NBA, college, and high school) by the Best Damn Sports Show Period in 2007 and the fifth most unforgettable sports moment of all-time across all sports in 2006.
Laettner also became known for another incident in the same Duke-Kentucky game. As Kentucky's Aminu Timberlake was lying on the floor after a foul, Laettner "tapped", or "stomped", on his chest with his foot. Laettner was assessed a contact technical foul on the play.
His number #32 jersey was retired in 1992, making him the sixth of eleven players so honored by Duke. He averaged 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game at Duke and is the all-time three-point three-point shooting]] percentage leader at Duke with 48.5%.
Laettner is one of only four players (including teammates Greg Koubek and Brian Davis) to play in four consecutive NCAA Men's Division I Final Fours, and the only one to ever start in all four Final Fours. He owns the record for most tournament games played, which may never be beaten (to do so, someone would have to play in four straight Finals). This is an interesting point, considering that no player, not even Laettner himself, has played in four consecutive finals.
Dream Team
Christian was also a member of the original Dream Team, considered to be one of the greatest basketball teams ever assembled. He helped Team USA win an Olympic Gold medal. Laettner was the only college player chosen for that Dream Team.
