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. Overall, Christian Laettner had a very successful NBA career. Was Christian Laettner good in the NBA? He hounded the superstar throughout the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals. The stories. There are very few players in the history of the game that can match his college career, said Bilas, an ESPN analyst who played at Dukeand was an assistant coach during Laettners time there. Christian Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player. But he still averaged 17.1 points per game and shot over 50% from the field. 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. Right, Born: In three seasons with the Sixers, Laettner averaged just 8.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game and, in 2000, he was waived by the team after averaging only 4.9 points per game in 26 total appearances. If there ever was a more balanced NBA team in the Eastern Conference that had the chance to take down the Bulls Dynasty, it was the Hawks. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski once told reporters that Laettner was so good, they had to get in contact with him early in the process, near the end of his sophomore year. He played 23 out of 24 possible NCAA games during his 4-year tenure, winning 21 of them. Christian Laettner was drafted 3rd overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1992 NBA Draft. Further, his team came third in the 1990 Argentina World Championship, where his team won the gold medal from the FIBA Americas Championships at 1992 Portland. Throughout his career, he averaged 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Laettner and the Dream Team went on to win the Olympics by bulldozing their way through the group stage and the knockouts, and the Duke star was the only college player on that team. Williams, the No. He was traded again in 1999, this time to the Detroit Pistons. He scored 23 points in the first half to stay within striking distance of the Jazz before halftime. 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? This one, I just couldn't believe. But Jordan thrived on adversity and the tide quickly changed with the Bulls capturing the next three games. Carlesimo out. "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. Jordan went to work once again. 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. Jerry Tarkanian led the Rebels to his only championship win. After college, Laettner was drafted 3rd overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The next year he averaged 27.8 points and 17.5 rebounds per game. Christian Laettner was drafted by Minnesota Timberwolves, 1st round (3rd pick, 3rd overall), 1992 NBA Draft. Jordan was unleashed in Game 4 as he dropped 54 points. 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. Malone at 193 games and Stockton at 182. After a successful college career, Laettner was drafted into the NBA by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1992. Related Read: What are the fundamentals of christianity? Laettner was one of the leagues toughest and best power forwards. Michael Jordan scored 42 points to lead the Bulls to a rout of the Knicks, 110-81. Christian won 21 games among 23 games played. ", 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. 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. In 1989, Olympic officials removed the rules barring professionals. Christian Laettner weighed 235 lbs (106 kg) when playing. It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. The Round Mound of Rebound was named the MVP to the chagrin of Jordan who wanted to win it for the third straight season. Abruptly, because of a sensational sophomore named Christian Laettner. 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. 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. Once against the Charlotte Hornets, once against the Boston Celtics, once against the Indiana Pacers, and once against the Portland Trail Blazers. Being a top-notch shooting guard, Christian Laettner won a ton of awards. He was named First Team All-ACC and First Team All-American. Russell Westbrook per Forbes, as of September 2019, Russell Westbrook has the most followers of any NBA player on, Read More What NBA Player Has the Most Followers on Instagram?Continue. Barkley was the NBAs best power forward during the early 90s. When he channels that energy to the next play in a positive manner, that puts him at a very high level. While he did last 13 years in the league and did make an All-Star team, he only averaged 12.8 points per game in his career and never averaged more than 8.8 rebounds per game. Christian Laettner won three NCAA championships with the Duke Blue Devils, an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks, and an Olympic gold medal with the United States in 1992. He even found time to add 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest. After the Olympics, Laettner joined the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA, playing with them from 1992-96. He led the Bulls to a 4-2 series win, averaging a series-high 27.3 points per game to go along with 1.7 steals and taking home the Finals MVP trophy. In Game 5, Michael Jordan received a pass from Luc Longley from the baseline and dunked the ball over the outstretched arms of Mutombo. And once again, Duke made it to the NCAA title game; this time, they faced off against UNLV, who were heavily favored to win. Christian Laettner played for the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 13 seasons from 1992 to 2005. He finished with 125 points for the entire tournament. He teamed up with Shaquille ONeal to eliminate the Bulls in the 1995 Easter Conference Semifinals at a time when Jordan had just returned from his short-lived baseball career. Introduction The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North, Read More Is There an NBA Playoff Game Tonight?Continue, ContentsRussell WestbrookLeBron JamesKevin DurantKyrie IrvingStephen Curry We all know that NBA players are some of the most popular athletes in the world. As a result of his onslaught, the Heat fell to the Bulls 4-1. If his place on the 1992 U.S. roster seems curious to some who question why even one collegian was kept (while NBA stars including Isiah Thomas were left off), his teammates recognized his value. The clock showed two-tenths of a second. - CGAA. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. April 23, 1943 - Nov. 26, 2017 Bonnie Laettner, mother of basketball great Christian Laettner, became a celebrity in her own right during the height of her son's stellar career His. After winning the 1991 NCAA title, Duke was favored to repeat in 1992 and was ranked #1 most of the year. Christian Laettner is one of the most accomplished college basketball players in the history of the sport. Christian Laettner/Image: usatodayhss.com . Both are NCAA records. Though he was a very successful college basketball player, Laettners NBA career was relatively short-lived. Johnson was a top-notch point guard, an All-Star who was superior to any of Chicagos playmakers. It's great, because he still has that kind of enthusiasm. Man for man, the Bulls didnt appear to have a chance against a powerhouse team like the Cavaliers. Related Read: Why do christians eat pork? Get viral NBA graphics, memes, rumors and trending news delivered right to your inbox with the Clutch Newsletter. He is best known for his time with the Duke Blue Devils, where he won two national championships and was a part of the famed Fab Five recruiting class of 1991. Though they were the best of friends, MJ would cut his friends heart out during the playoffs three times in four years. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1992 to 2005. Does Christian Laettner have an HOF argument? Whatever the reason, Christian Laettners time in the NBA was relatively unsuccessful compared to his collegiate career. The Mailman shredded the Bulls defense on the way to a 39-point outing. The first time was on November 11, 1992, against the Charlotte Hornets. Miller was tough to cover as he would run through so many screens all designed to set him free for his lethal jumpers. Sadly, Barkley would never play in the NBA Finals again and continued to be ringless until he retired. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. The following year, Jordan once again used his superhuman abilities to post insane averages in the semifinals, crushing the Sixers, 4-1. Three of the four coaches are also enshrined. He also chipped in with eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in the game. Christian Laettner was the Blue Devils leading scoring in 1992 as a senior and was the unanimous national player of the year. The accolades are endless, but more than anything, Laettner is known for "The Shot." In the. Laettner's best years statistically were his first two years in the NBA. He led the Seattle SuperSonics to their only NBA Championship in 1979. He was traded again in 1999, this time to the Detroit Pistons. As a freshman, he helped lead the Blue Devils to the NCAA championship game, where they lost to Danny Manning and Kansas. As of right now, Christian Laettner is not in the NBA Hall of Fame. Stockton, meanwhile, is the best pure point guard in league history. Yep, that would be Jalen Rose and the Michigan Wolverines. He has since gone on to business success. Lenny Wilkens had a successful career as a coach following his career as a player. As such, it is unlikely that he will ever be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He averaged at least 16 points and seven rebounds in each of his first five years in the league. Laettner started off his career pretty well for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he averages a promising 18.2 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game and was a member of the 1992-93 All-Rookie team. Although he never won an NBA Championship, Laettner was a very good rebounder throughout his career. Many great players deserved to win the championship as much as he did. Point guard Price, power forward Nance, and center Daugherty were All-Stars and as good a Big 3 as any you will find in the league at the time. He is also a four-time All-American, two-time National Player of the Year, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. "The team has had one reunion, at the Olympic Hall of Fame last year, but only seven or eight of us made it," he said. He played 13 seasons in the NBA, for the Wolves, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Heat. He was named the NCAA Tournaments Most Outstanding Player in 1992 and was a first-team All-American in both his junior and senior seasons. us, High School: Data Provided By Christian Laettner averaged 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He was the teams best foul shooter at the Olympics (18 for 20). Hindsight certainly makes the decision look strange. He was a consensus National Player of the Year and two-time All-American, becoming the face of one of the most storied men's basketball programs.
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