Christian Laettner

Christian Laettner was born and raised in Angola, New York, near Buffalo and Niagara Falls, to a blue-collar Roman Catholic family. 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. and the team won two state titles and reached another semifinal. He was a much sought-after college recruit. 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 He was a first team selection for the All-time All-WNY team along with Aiken, Paul Harris, Bob Lanier and Mel Montgomery. ==College career==

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. A four-year starter, he also contributed to their runner-up finish his sophomore year and Final Four appearance in his freshman year. 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. 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. His career is widely regarded as among the best in college history, and he is enshrined in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. • Most free throws made: 142 • Most free throw attempts: 167 Clutch performances Laettner had several clutch performances in the NCAA tournament. 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". 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. In 2006 The Best Damn Sports Show Period ranked it the fifth most memorable moment in sports history. 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. 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. ==Professional career==

Selected third overall in 1992 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Laettner played 13 years in the NBA, from 1992 to 2005, scoring 11,121 points and grabbing 5,806 rebounds. 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. He appeared in a total of 868 regular-season games, averaging 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game through the entirety of his career. ==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. The team is considered one of the greatest in sports history and was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, FIBA Hall of Fame, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. ==Post-NBA basketball==

Laettner maintains a close friendship with Duke teammate Brian Davis. a Major League Soccer team, and an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Memphis Grizzlies. Some legal problems, primarily regarding unpaid debts, have also occurred. 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. He also played one season in a semi-pro league and briefly served as an assistant coach in the NBA Development League. 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. ==Personal life==

Laettner lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and is an avid muskellunge fisherman. He is divorced with three children. Laettner has donated large sums to his alma maters. ==Career statistics==

NBA Regular season Playoffs College ==Awards and honors==

;NBA • NBA All-Star () • NBA All-Rookie First Team () ;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) ==See also==