Laettner's final two seasons in the NBA were spent with the Pistons and the Washington Wizards, before he retired in 2005. He was then drafted 3rd overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. John Laettner is not in the NBA Hall of Fame. While he did last 13 years in the league and did make an All-Star team, to Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times. Did Christian Laettner Play In The Nba? - foreverrebuilding.com The Olympic Channel original series features Olympic legends who have just one week to turn around a struggling youth team. John Laettner was the Most Valuable Player of the NCAA mens basketball tournament in 1991 and 1992, leading Duke to back-to-back championships. Stockton, meanwhile, is the best pure point guard in league history. Christian Laettner was drafted 3rd overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1992 NBA Draft. Christian Laettner Net Worth 2023 - NBA Salary & Earnings Christian Laettner is considered to be one of the greatest college basketball players of all time, and his exploits with the Duke Blue Devils led to him being a part of the 1992 Olympics 'Dream Team'. They first met in the postseason in the 1990 Eastern Conference Semifinals. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team that year. Shaq isn't upset he was left off the 1992 Dream Team - FanSided 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. He finished with 125 points for the entire tournament. 5 Surprising Things We Know About Christian Laettner He was a productive player for 13 seasons and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in his first season. ", More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Whatever the reason, Christian Laettners time in the NBA was relatively unsuccessful compared to his collegiate career. Related Read: What are the fundamentals of christianity? And who did Duke beat that year? Malone at 193 games and Stockton at 182. The fo He never averaged less than 6.0 rebounds per game in any season and his career-high of 8.8 rebounds per game is a testament to his ability on the glass. After retiring from the NBA in 2005, it hasnt gotten much better for Laettner. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. He was a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"), which won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. I was recently thinking that since college achievements are considered when selecting people for the Basketball Hall of Fame it would make sense that a guy who arguably had the greatest college basketball career ever in the modern era gets in. Here's what you may have missed in men's college basketball on Saturday, Feb. 11, a day full of upsets. The shot: 25 years ago, Christian Laettner hit the swish for the ages Jordan shot 9-of-25 from the field but wound up with 28 points on hustle plays. Starks was clueless on how to stop the rampaging Bull and he remained unshackled until the series was over. The smaller and quicker guys give me a lot of trouble. 9. None. Of the 12 Dream Teamers, eight are individual Hall of Famers Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, David Robinson and John Stockton. 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 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. As of February 2023, Christian Laettner has an estimated net worth of $12 million. The following year, Jordan once again used his superhuman abilities to post insane averages in the semifinals, crushing the Sixers, 4-1. 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). 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. 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). ", Laettner on picking Duke: "You want to go to the best school you can go to, and one that you think has a good chance to do well all the time. First 2 men's NCAA tournament automatic bids, Tenn. Tech earns first auto bid into women's NCAA tournament. The Golden State Warriors finished the 2015-2016 season with a 73-9 record, one of the best . That, his college success, and his clutch shots, led one basketball writer to dub him one of the two luckiest people to ever live, along with Ringo Starr.. Malone and Stockton were their usual sensational selves, taking the middle games for the Jazz to tie the series at two games apiece. The game is usually considered the greatest ever in college basketball, and Laettners shot has been re-run on television numerous times since 1992. As a result, the forward has downplayed his participation on the historic team. Is Christian Laettner In The Nba Hall Of Fame? Coach K's squad won the East Regional Final and beat Indiana in the Final Four. Laettner's time with the Hawks was marked by frequent injuries, and he never quite regained his previous level of play. Nance and Daugherty would play one more season before retiring without a ring. He had an amazing National Basketball Association career. That buzzer-beater shocked the Cavaliers, one that the team would never recover from. Schrempf was a three-time All-Star, an All-NBA Third Team member, and was twice named Sixth Man of the Year. Laettner, of course, went on to hit famous NCAA tournament buzzer-beaters against UConn and Kentucky, the latter later named the best moment in NCAA tournament history during the 75 Years of March Madness celebration. But Malone and Stockton werent done yet. 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. Christian Laettner was one of the most beloved and celebrated basketball players of his era. Overall, Christian Laettner was a very good rebounder during his NBA career. On Aug. 13, the 1992 gold medal Dream Team will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. Hardaway and the Heat had the misfortune of going up against some of the best Bulls teams in the 1996 and 1997 NBA Playoffs. The Round Mound of Rebound was named the MVP to the chagrin of Jordan who wanted to win it for the third straight season. They were the most unfortunate of any franchise to have run into the Bulls during that stretch, facing them four times in six years. A second can make such a big difference. 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. 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. Laettner, by the way, was no NBA scrub. Miller was tough to cover as he would run through so many screens all designed to set him free for his lethal jumpers. In the NBA, Laettner's highest rebounding game was on March 3, 1993, when he had 24 rebounds against the Indiana Pacers. In four years with Christian Laettner, Duke went 123-26, including a 43-15 mark in ACC play. Americas Olympic team had lost to the Soviet Union in 1988. Initial birdie during when it . But Jordan thrived on adversity and the tide quickly changed with the Bulls capturing the next three games. He was a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"), which won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He played 23 out of 24 possible NCAA games during his 4-year tenure, winning 21 of them. Throughout his career, he averaged 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. In his three years at Duke University, Christian Laettner became one of the most decorated players in college basketball history. Man for man, the Bulls didnt appear to have a chance against a powerhouse team like the Cavaliers. This time, Starks was more prepared to take on the task of guarding Jordan. In addition, Laettner was never considered one of the best players in his generation. Jordan scored at least 41 points in four straight games, topping it off with a 55-point performance in Game 4. However, it is worth noting that he is not a part of the Hall of Fame for his individual achievements as an NBA player, unlike other players of the aforementioned Olympics team. Both are NCAA records. AP Was There: Laettner's shot stuns Kentucky in OT, 104-103 - Yahoo! A 6-11 (211 cm) power forward / center, Laettner played at Duke University, where he led them to the Final Four all four years of his college career. What NBA Player Has the Most Followers on Instagram. Barkley submitted averages of 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Laettner also had seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Though they were the best of friends, MJ would cut his friends heart out during the playoffs three times in four years. Finally, Laettner was known to be arrogant and aloof, which rubbed some people the wrong way. No matter how often everyones seen it, no one seems to have found a solution to it for more than a decade. After his second season, his scoring and rebounding numbers both declined slightly and remained fairly consistent for the rest of his NBA career. And we havent even talked about Gary Payton who isnt on this list because he won a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006. He played on two NCAA champions and holds several tournament records. MJ stole the ball and raced back to the other end of the court. Laettner had a solid NBA career, making the All-Rookie team in 1993, and the 1997 All-Star Game. He is the only player in NCAA Division I history to have won both the Naismith College Player of the Year Award and the John R. Wooden Award in the same season (1992). He continued to be a productive player for the Timberwolves over the next few seasons, but was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 1996. In his NBA career, Laettner averaged 8.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. For one thing, if you got the ball passed to you with that lineup, it meant you were pretty wide open.. Your login session has expired. - 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? So why isnt he in the Hall of Fame? Despite his accomplishments, Laettner is often considered one of the most polarizing figures in college basketball history.