Duke had some of best games alltime back then. UNLV×2, KY, UNC, Michigan, Indiana, GT. So many greats on those squads, Larry Johnson, Jamal Mashburn, Chris Webber, Kenny Anderson, SHAQ, Cal Cheney ect. 80s and 90s was the best college basketball.
I remember watching these games as a kid. The really good games always came on Saturday afternoon. It's hard to get behind a team now with all the transferring and 1 and dones.
While living in Great Falls Virginia, Christian Laettner lived a few houses from us. He used to come over with his two daughers to play with our dogs. I was never into basketball and had no idea who he was. Neighbors used to come over and say, "do you know who you're talking to?" I really didn't but he was the most gracious 'star' i ever met. A gift to know now, especially watching this that Christian was a genuinley nice human being. He played for the Wizards while living in Virgina.
@@Man2th806 Yup, never knew much about Christian until after he'd come over with his two little girls to play with the dogs. I just remembered what a really nice guy he was, never knowing the background. It was a pleasure and his two tykes loved our dogs.
@@thomasmaddox1002 There are more unathletic 7fters in life than there are 7ft athletes in the world. Along with being abnormally tall you must also have coordination and be talented.
Had it not been for injuries, he would've been top ten all time. His second year in the NBA he was averaging 20 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals a game.
Not long after this game Shaq came into my hotel restaurant where I waited on his table for breakfast, it was an expensive place for those days. It was Shaq, his father Phil and his brothers. Nobody really knew who he was unless they watched ball. I came to his table and he put in his order in Shaq portions "I want 5 juices, 7 toasts, 6 eggs, 6 pancakes" 😅. Then when I gave him the bill he looked at it and I could tell he hadn't looked up the prices beforehand and said "hey dad can you got $40 you can lend me". His father wore glasses and didn't say much and without reacting in any way slid his hand back behind his pocket and got out his wallet. I can still hear Shaq asking for the money like we all did at some point before we got adult people jobs. Shaq autographed the check with his college number. When he got up he hit his head on the chandelier and the whole thing swung like a giant boat anchor. When he shook my hand it was like the size a giant dinner platter. When I got home I turned on MTV ane there he was as the guest DJ with Ed Lover and Dre on Yo MTV Raps. Now I watch him in on RUclips videos randomly paying for people's stuff like little kids bikes at Walmart.
Shaq really does have a big heart, like actually BIG. Just Joking. He is a good man. And has always had a big personality and has always been hilarious. Im happy to have enjoyed his entire NCAA and NBA career, and now his commercials and TNT job is the cherry on top.
One of the greatest Duke teams of all time. Played in the toughest bracket in the tournament to the point the championship game was just an afterthought.
Even absolute 5star guys like Shaq? Stayed at least 3 years back then! The chemistry was that much better on every team. And it showed in the final product
This game was a treat. It was basketball excellence! Grant Hills midrange in college was way better than I remember. Love Laettner putting his fist up everytime he scored. He embraced the troll / villain role. Lol
Fun fact! I’m the same age as Laettner pretty much. I am definitely a HUGE DUKE FAN And I’m actually on the team, in my own mind! During Duke’s 1992 magical season, I was hanging out at Northgate Mall in Durham, NC. I was about 20 or 21 years old at the time and I was a competitive bodybuilder in those days! Laettner was standing in the middle of the breezeway with a super fine bad to the bone chick, probably spitting some game to her, while brushing his hair!!? I worked up the courage to approach him for an autograph because he was my favorite basketball player on Earth! He kinda politely blew me off and acted as if he didn’t hear me when I asked him to sign a record case I had purchased earlier in the record store. So I didn’t want to be rude and possibly be a bit of a cock block, so I waited patiently until I detected a break in their conversation and I asked him once more. He sighed and said “Look my Man, I know you’re gonna understand this because you look like someone who knows his way around the gym and people approaching you while you’re attempting to have a little down time. Right? So thanks for understanding, and I appreciate your support Again politely blew me off again. It hurt my feelings a little and it confused me as well. He took way more time to explain why he wouldn’t do an autograph for me than he would have taken by just taking a half second to scribble his signature and make a fan’s day But I had a moment with Laettner!
Even though you were both youngsters, he was teaching you a lesson. You didn't want to be rude but you asked a second time after he didn't respond to your first try? LOL. If you don't have manners at least be creative. If he was with a chick, maybe saying "you da man" while walking past him would have been the best move to hype him up around a hottie. If he responded cool to that then you could have stopped for him, and asked for your picture or autograph. Sorry, I've been around a lot of famous people and have managed to somehow only make a fool of myself a very small percentage of the time.
I think about that too. I grew up in Central FL and back then we had Shaq and Penny. When Shaq came in the league he was a phenom, just a 7 footer who ran like a guard and was dominant in the paint. However, Bigger, heavier Shaq was an absolute nightmare ,just an immovable object in the paint that could block all drives and score 30 a night around the rim just snagging rebounds, cleaning up with put back dunks and posting everyone anywhere. Big heavy Shaq Diesel was an absolute PROBLEM lmao
This Duke team was great. They won here at LSU without Bobby Hurley. They won later that season at UCLA without Grant Hill. In the tournament, they survived a perfect game played by Kentucky in the Elite 8, beat a very good Indiana team in the Final 4 and then wiped the floor with the Fab 5 in the championship game after needing overtime to beat them earlier that season. All historical facts right there.
Where was Hurley this game I noticed that about a minute into the video and I live in Lexington my whole life that Kentucky team did play a great game as I look back Laitner didn’t miss a shot free throw or from the field he played a absolute perfect game for someone who should have been ejected for the flagrant flagrant foul when he stomped Timberlake that’s historical facts with that being said that was a great I mean great duke team and I believe if injuries didn’t hold him back grant hill would have been a top 10 player of all time or at least had a chance to be
Laetrner has been discriminated against countless times fir making the Dream Team, and many have said that he didn't deserve it. In reality, he absolutely deserved it. Even Shaq's guardian said as much. College and pro basketball are basically two different sports, and Larttner happens to be the greatest college basketball player ever.
The LSU-Chris Jackson-Shaquille O’Neal era underachieved to say the least. I realize Jackson was long gone 2 years earlier but that 4 years of having Chris Jackson 2 years , one year alongside Shaq then 2 more years of Shaq and a pretty good supporting cast was underwhelming results wise for LSU. On the other hand those same years had Duke overachieving or let’s say getting the most out of their potential. It’s likely that was a determining factor in Laettner getting the edge over O’Neal. Laettner was more fundamentally sound, all that.
Yes he was that good. The greatest college player was Lew Alcinder (Kareem Adul Jabbar) He lost 3 games in 3 years. One because of an eye injury. UCLA won 3 championships with him.
I remember that game. I was rooting for Shaq because he played my same position and was an insane shot blocker, the part of the game I liked and excelled the most as a player. An eager NBA fan I was always watching NCAA looking forward to the next great big man who could take the torch from Hakeem, Pat, David. Well, looking back at this young Shaq and his potential always leaves me with a bitter taste. In my opinion he is one hell of an underachiever. Yes, he won chips, but he had the potential to become a way better player than he actually did. Say the greatest to ever play the C position .
Great era for college hoops. I used to love going to the book store every year, right around Thanksgiving, to buy the new 'Barry Jacobs Fans Guide to ACC Basketball'. It's the greatest basketball magazine that ever existed. I do think it's the right thing that the players get paid and be allowed to transfer around--but it just makes it all lousier from a fan's POV.
CBS used fill-in announcers to cover college basketball while their regular guys were all overseas covering the Winter Olympics - which is why you had then-Washington Bullets announcer Mel Proctor calling this marquee game with Billy Packer. They did the same thing in 1994 and 1998.
Packer was an ACC regular before this. IIRC he went on to become lead CBS college basketball announcer. At least I remember him from many final four games.
Shaq‘s mobility in college was just unreal. He moves so fluidly that you can easy forget what a giant of man he was. If he only had developed proper shooting mechanics. Would have saved him from a lot of physical punishment and extended his offensive game.
I watched Shaquille play in real time. He’s a few months younger than me. Watching Shaquille O’Neal play at LSU was like me playing nerf basketball against five year olds. He was that dominant. As Dick Vitale said, “this is UNFAIR!!!” If LSU had a good coach, those teams (loaded with Macdonalds All Americans btw) could have won at least one national championship. But instead they had Dale Brown.
He was physically dominant but had a bad attitude and was lazy on defense. Laettner was the better player, and frankly, it's not close. This talk about Shaq deserving to be in the original Dream Team is false; the right guy made it.
@@ronald968I agree. Shaq is so contradictory about him saying he should have been on the Dream Team instead of Laettner, but out of the other side of his mouth he says Laettner used to eat him alive and was the better player in college. The powers that be wanted the best college player on that team and it was Laettner by a light year.
@@broaddusmarinescoach or no coach he had enough talent alongside him. Shaq was paired with the NCAAs leading scorer as a freshman for one season. Shaq should've at least been able to lead LSU to the Sweet 16 one of those 3 years!
@@joejett5084No he was not he just happened to have a better team. But Laettner was never and will not ever be better than Shaquille O'Neal what is wrong with you.
Laettner did not deserve to be on that dream team. There's nothing discriminatory about that Shaquille O'Neal was by far the better player to be on that team.
What the highlight didn't show was the game was super close until Duke went hack a shaq mode and fouled him every time in the late second half and he bricked every free throw...
Duke the better team. Shaq-Laettner matchup almost equal. But looking at how Shaq carried his team against a loaded Duke and his moves are signs of future superstardom to come.
@@SJ-ep7sw Exactly and that Duck Team was one of the best in the history of modern college ball. Christian got all the love but the Hill guys were the ones who did all the dirty work on that team.
@@zachmartin1458 How did Laettner embarrass Shaq? Laettner never guarded Shaq and Shaq never guarded Laettner and if Laettner had guarded Shaq, it would be nothing short of pure embarrassment for Laettner.
@@PA-zt6xu Exactly, why do people dismiss the fact that the Hills were on that team. That Duke team was absolutely loaded so people need to quit trying to pretend like Christian Laettner could carry a team by himself because there's no way in hell, he was not that type of player.
Once Christian Laettner played Shaq in the NBA it was a total difference story just watch the 1996 NBA playoffs game 1 of the first Round when Shaq put up 41 points against Laettner.. He dominated the whole series
That LSU team was pretty good. They had Shaq of course but his supporting cast was pretty good too. Chris Jackson played there and it was before he was Mahmoud -Abdul Rauf!! Lol! They made the NCAA TOURNAMENT for that season
No it was not. CL played with Team USA and had the deeper college résumé. Shaq didn’t risk it, as he correctly gambled on himself as the top pick and better pro. Clearly, as one of the GOATS, he was correct
Poor Laettner wasn’t even allowed to play in the Monte Carlo game. At least he got to witness the greatest game of all time that the NBA won’t release the complete footage of.
I’m from Valley City, ND! I totally forgot about Andersen playing with SHAQ and LSU! I do remember another Valley City, ND star playing with the Kansas Jayhawks! Jeff Boschee! He was way better than Justin Andersen
Don't forget Guldseth who Dale Brown recruited to play shooting guard along with Jackson, Roberts, and Shaq. Guldseth had more game than Anderson or Boschee.
Always a hoot to see Shaq young, he was positively svelte back then. Didn't last long, a few years into the NBA he started turning into the mountainous Shaq we know today but he could do some amazingly athletic things when he wasn't carrying those extra pounds. Laettner actually played him pretty even, except on the defensive end, there Shaq was a shot blocking machine which should have turned the game in their favor but Duke just had too much all around talent for LSU.
Actually you are incorrect. Phil during his time in LA encouraged Shaq to get bigger and actually him being bigger allowed him to be even more dominate. Teams had to carry 3 and 4 centers because he would foul out entire teams big men.
Pepsi used to do those March madness contests with teams under the bottle caps. We would all collect them at school. In the 90s if you had Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky you felt like you probably had the winner.
Christian Laettner was invited to first and only true Dream Team 1992 Barcelona. If it was Shaq that would be just ..it. Nowadays it would be Shaq who would be invited.
Thank you, Christian Laettner, for being such an inspiration to white basketball players.. Thoughiut NCAA history, there hasn't been another player on your level, sir.
Where is Bobby Hurley I can’t figure out was he suspended or sick he was the best point guard in the country at the time well for what duke needed he was the best
Shaq aint really capping he was greek freak before greek freak problem is shaq gain weight in nba and only just post games so if giannis old he has second option is to gain weight Hahaha be like shaq
Shaq was a monster in college, but everyone knew he would be even better in the pros. Because 1 he would be surrounded by better shooters and two because unlike college in the pros defensive players weren't allowed to just stand in the paint and clog up the lane in the NBA. So teams would have to play Shaq one on one or send a double. One of the reason LSU would lose in the tournament with shaq was because teams would play a box & 1 or play a 2-3 defense and basically surround shaq with 3 or 4 defenders and LSU guards usually ran could in the tournament.
@@bauerj3398 Nope. What is unbelievable that they put a great COLLEGE player on the team, but NOT one of the Top 50 Professional Players on the team. CL was a great college player, but had a mediocre pro career at best. Just disappeared. Shaq was a dominant college player, who turned into a dominant pro player. One of the Top centers of all time. 🙄 Absurd and Ridiculous
@@cheerwhiner7829 Nothing unbelievable about it. Up to that point, it is was all college players. They were transitioning to professionals for the first time, and reserved one spot for a college player.
@@bauerj3398 For the Olympics, the goal is to take the Best Players (IT argument aside)- imagine Shaq’s dunks during those games vs CL’s… what did he do on that team? I don’t even remember.
I kind of agree from where they were in '92, but history and both players' complete basketball legacies says otherwise. Plus, Laettner made almost zero impact. Shaq would have been a scary guy to bring off the bench.@@FuShengAlex
@@mmclaurin8035 they didn't have anything to go on based on nba production though. Laettner was the best collegiate player. Quite frankly I think Shaq had a extremely disappointing NCAA career winning wise. He should've at least been able to lead LSU to the Sweet 16 at least once. He joined the nation's leading scorer his freshman year. He had a future nba teammate in Stanley Roberts one year too.
In last few years I have become a Hard Right republican (i'll just say I hate libreals so much and everything about them and who they support) , and I'm sure every person would think H8 all blacks and the R word, well look I got my opinion for sure.... but when it comes to Shaq? Love this guy! For almost 30 years he has been such a good role model, funny guy, and charmer. Love everything about Shaq!
Lsu didn't make the Sweet 16 even once during Shaqs 3 years I'm sure some teams today could beat them. As for 91-92 Duke i hated them with a passion and it pains me to say it....they're the greatest NCAA team I've ever seen (started watching mid 80s). They only lost 2 games that season by a combined total of 6 points.
@@FuShengAlex90-91 UNLV and 96 Kentucky r the 2 best college bball teams ever, 92 Duke is prob top 5 all time but 99 Duke might actually be better and 99 UConn who beat them in the title game lol...and that's comin from me a millennial genius 😁
@@ckack1372 96 Kentucky could be argued as the greatest team ever. They're the most deepest team of any champion. I think they had 9 future NBA players on their roster. A lot of former McDonald's All Americans that took a lesser role (couldve been immediate stars elsewhere right off the bat) to play on a stacked team. I wouldn't ever say they were in trouble in the 96 Finals vs John Wallace and Syracuse, but I think 92 Duke would've blown that team outta the water by a larger margin. Both 96 Kentucky and 92 Duke finished 34-2.....the teams that beat them those years had to play at a near perfect level for all 40 minutes.
Duke had some of best games alltime back then. UNLV×2, KY, UNC, Michigan, Indiana, GT. So many greats on those squads, Larry Johnson, Jamal Mashburn, Chris Webber, Kenny Anderson, SHAQ, Cal Cheney ect.
80s and 90s was the best college basketball.
I remember watching these games as a kid. The really good games always came on Saturday afternoon. It's hard to get behind a team now with all the transferring and 1 and dones.
While living in Great Falls Virginia, Christian Laettner lived a few houses from us. He used to come over with his two daughers to play with our dogs. I was never into basketball and had no idea who he was. Neighbors used to come over and say, "do you know who you're talking to?" I really didn't but he was the most gracious 'star' i ever met. A gift to know now, especially watching this that Christian was a genuinley nice human being. He played for the Wizards while living in Virgina.
I’m sure you were a treasure in his world. Someone who treated him like a regular guy instead of being starry-eyed
@@Man2th806 Yup, never knew much about Christian until after he'd come over with his two little girls to play with the dogs. I just remembered what a really nice guy he was, never knowing the background. It was a pleasure and his two tykes loved our dogs.
what about the fact that he’s nearly 7 foot? That didn’t raise any eyebrows?
@@thomasmaddox1002 There are more unathletic 7fters in life than there are 7ft athletes in the world. Along with being abnormally tall you must also have coordination and be talented.
@@flynt1977 wow, thanks a lot genius. I didn’t know you actually had to be good at basketball, i thought you just had to be tall
Christian Laettner is someone who would have done very well in the modern NBA.
💯
🗑🗑🗑
He would be NBA superstar in todays o modern NBA
My grandmother would have done very well in the modern NBA
No he wouldn’t stop it
This duke team could shoot all around, was athletic, big, smart. Really had the full package
Grant hill was a beast!!
Best player in Duke history. Coach K said it himself.
@@ToneRetroGaming I believe that
@@ToneRetroGamingHe was? IMO the next guy up with Kobe. After MJ retired. Even bigger “ what if “ than Penny Hardaway?
Had it not been for injuries, he would've been top ten all time.
His second year in the NBA he was averaging 20 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals a game.
Not long after this game Shaq came into my hotel restaurant where I waited on his table for breakfast, it was an expensive place for those days. It was Shaq, his father Phil and his brothers. Nobody really knew who he was unless they watched ball. I came to his table and he put in his order in Shaq portions "I want 5 juices, 7 toasts, 6 eggs, 6 pancakes" 😅. Then when I gave him the bill he looked at it and I could tell he hadn't looked up the prices beforehand and said "hey dad can you got $40 you can lend me". His father wore glasses and didn't say much and without reacting in any way slid his hand back behind his pocket and got out his wallet. I can still hear Shaq asking for the money like we all did at some point before we got adult people jobs. Shaq autographed the check with his college number. When he got up he hit his head on the chandelier and the whole thing swung like a giant boat anchor. When he shook my hand it was like the size a giant dinner platter. When I got home I turned on MTV ane there he was as the guest DJ with Ed Lover and Dre on Yo MTV Raps. Now I watch him in on RUclips videos randomly paying for people's stuff like little kids bikes at Walmart.
Thanks for the memories boss.
That was Army Sergeant Harrison. He even worked for the FBI! I enjoyed that story thank you.
Great story!
Great memory.Thanks for sharing!
Shaq really does have a big heart, like actually BIG. Just Joking. He is a good man. And has always had a big personality and has always been hilarious. Im happy to have enjoyed his entire NCAA and NBA career, and now his commercials and TNT job is the cherry on top.
One of the greatest Duke teams of all time. Played in the toughest bracket in the tournament to the point the championship game was just an afterthought.
Damn this game is better than watching the NBA in the year's of 2022
Up until now 2024
Good point
True until now both Teams would destroy all teams in NBA 2023-2024
Even absolute 5star guys like Shaq? Stayed at least 3 years back then! The chemistry was that much better on every team. And it showed in the final product
It's crazy how Laettner played Center in college, but was too small and had to play PF in the NBA. He'd be a huge Center in today's NBA
Love him or hate him. I always rooted for Laettner.
we can tell lol
Damn these guys were good shooters. I miss 90s bball
And people act like dudes couldn’t shoot lol
Every player on Duke was able to hit a 15 ft jumper. 92 Duke was the best team ever in college basketball ball.
@@Danny-sd5vmUCLA doesn’t exist anymore?
@@SpaceBabyFlaz *Sam Gilbert
6:25 Mic picks up T.Hill after block, "Gimmie that shit"😂
Timeless ish talk- theyre still sayn it today
😂😂
This game was a treat. It was basketball excellence! Grant Hills midrange in college was way better than I remember. Love Laettner putting his fist up everytime he scored. He embraced the troll / villain role. Lol
Was there. After the game, a night I'll never forget.
What a game! They don't basketball like this anymore!
I'll say!
Fun fact!
I’m the same age as Laettner pretty much. I am definitely a HUGE DUKE FAN And I’m actually on the team, in my own mind!
During Duke’s 1992 magical season, I was hanging out at Northgate Mall in Durham, NC. I was about 20 or 21 years old at the time and I was a competitive bodybuilder in those days!
Laettner was standing in the middle of the breezeway with a super fine bad to the bone chick, probably spitting some game to her, while brushing his hair!!?
I worked up the courage to approach him for an autograph because he was my favorite basketball player on Earth!
He kinda politely blew me off and acted as if he didn’t hear me when I asked him to sign a record case I had purchased earlier in the record store.
So I didn’t want to be rude and possibly be a bit of a cock block, so I waited patiently until I detected a break in their conversation and I asked him once more.
He sighed and said “Look my Man, I know you’re gonna understand this because you look like someone who knows his way around the gym and people approaching you while you’re attempting to have a little down time. Right?
So thanks for understanding, and I appreciate your support
Again politely blew me off again.
It hurt my feelings a little and it confused me as well. He took way more time to explain why he wouldn’t do an autograph for me than he would have taken by just taking a half second to scribble his signature and make a fan’s day
But I had a moment with Laettner!
Maybe that's because many other people would follow your example and ask an autograph as well. That would take more time.
Even though you were both youngsters, he was teaching you a lesson.
You didn't want to be rude but you asked a second time after he didn't respond to your first try? LOL. If you don't have manners at least be creative. If he was with a chick, maybe saying "you da man" while walking past him would have been the best move to hype him up around a hottie. If he responded cool to that then you could have stopped for him, and asked for your picture or autograph. Sorry, I've been around a lot of famous people and have managed to somehow only make a fool of myself a very small percentage of the time.
@@bolsbolbol368
I appreciate it brother! I tend to agree with you
Grant Hill was smooth
What a time to be alive… basketball back then was pure not like this trash today..
They actually ran an offense as a team. Also actually gave their all on defense!
Shaq helping Hill get up after that was wholesome af
There's nothing wholesome about your language, though.
Watch your non-wholesome language.
Watch your non-wholesome language.
What a game. Laettner was amazing. But even if he lost, 6 blocks from Shaq against a team that smart is just outstanding.
Just imagine if Shaq stayed in that size range
I think about that too. I grew up in Central FL and back then we had Shaq and Penny. When Shaq came in the league he was a phenom, just a 7 footer who ran like a guard and was dominant in the paint. However, Bigger, heavier Shaq was an absolute nightmare ,just an immovable object in the paint that could block all drives and score 30 a night around the rim just snagging rebounds, cleaning up with put back dunks and posting everyone anywhere. Big heavy Shaq Diesel was an absolute PROBLEM lmao
Bigger Shaq was way more dominant although he may have sacrificed a couple of years of his prime by getting that big.
This Duke team was great. They won here at LSU without Bobby Hurley. They won later that season at UCLA without Grant Hill. In the tournament, they survived a perfect game played by Kentucky in the Elite 8, beat a very good Indiana team in the Final 4 and then wiped the floor with the Fab 5 in the championship game after needing overtime to beat them earlier that season. All historical facts right there.
Where was Hurley this game I noticed that about a minute into the video and I live in Lexington my whole life that Kentucky team did play a great game as I look back Laitner didn’t miss a shot free throw or from the field he played a absolute perfect game for someone who should have been ejected for the flagrant flagrant foul when he stomped Timberlake that’s historical facts with that being said that was a great I mean great duke team and I believe if injuries didn’t hold him back grant hill would have been a top 10 player of all time or at least had a chance to be
Laetrner has been discriminated against countless times fir making the Dream Team, and many have said that he didn't deserve it. In reality, he absolutely deserved it.
Even Shaq's guardian said as much.
College and pro basketball are basically two different sports, and Larttner happens to be the greatest college basketball player ever.
I’m a UNC fan and even I admit that CL deserved that spot
Maravich
The LSU-Chris Jackson-Shaquille O’Neal era underachieved to say the least. I realize Jackson was long gone 2 years earlier but that 4 years of having Chris Jackson 2 years , one year alongside Shaq then 2 more years of Shaq and a pretty good supporting cast was underwhelming results wise for LSU.
On the other hand those same years had Duke overachieving or let’s say getting the most out of their potential. It’s likely that was a determining factor in Laettner getting the edge over O’Neal. Laettner was more fundamentally sound, all that.
Yes he was that good. The greatest college player was Lew Alcinder (Kareem Adul Jabbar) He lost 3 games in 3 years. One because of an eye injury. UCLA won 3 championships with him.
Bill Walton, Kareem and Pistol Pete were better college ballplayers.
I remember that game. I was rooting for Shaq because he played my same position and was an insane shot blocker, the part of the game I liked and excelled the most as a player.
An eager NBA fan I was always watching NCAA looking forward to the next great big man who could take the torch from Hakeem, Pat, David.
Well, looking back at this young Shaq and his potential always leaves me with a bitter taste.
In my opinion he is one hell of an underachiever.
Yes, he won chips, but he had the potential to become a way better player than he actually did. Say the greatest to ever play the C position .
Bro
You got some serious content on this channel! Your very talented and I love your work
It would be nice to know what the score is?
Laettner vanquished the Fab 5, UNLV, and Shaq... Damn, dude was a killer...
Ummmmm. He got Washed by UNLV also....... Keep it 💯
The GOAT of NCAA Basketball, no question
Kentucky
@@williamnevins4425 and he beat them the next year...keep it 200 brother
Like how LeBron destroyed Dirk and his one hit wonder Mavs in 2012 after that fluke 2011 loss?
I remember watching Shaq with Orlando on the old Sunshine Network destroying hoops. He actually pulled the whole goal down one time.
Great era for college hoops. I used to love going to the book store every year, right around Thanksgiving, to buy the new 'Barry Jacobs Fans Guide to ACC Basketball'. It's the greatest basketball magazine that ever existed. I do think it's the right thing that the players get paid and be allowed to transfer around--but it just makes it all lousier from a fan's POV.
CBS used fill-in announcers to cover college basketball while their regular guys were all overseas covering the Winter Olympics - which is why you had then-Washington Bullets announcer Mel Proctor calling this marquee game with Billy Packer. They did the same thing in 1994 and 1998.
Interesting
Those guys did a great job!
Packer was an ACC regular before this. IIRC he went on to become lead CBS college basketball announcer. At least I remember him from many final four games.
Shaq‘s mobility in college was just unreal. He moves so fluidly that you can easy forget what a giant of man he was. If he only had developed proper shooting mechanics. Would have saved him from a lot of physical punishment and extended his offensive game.
I used to have a poster of Shaq's scoop at 3.22 mark against Laettner.
I watched Shaquille play in real time. He’s a few months younger than me.
Watching Shaquille O’Neal play at LSU was like me playing nerf basketball against five year olds.
He was that dominant.
As Dick Vitale said, “this is UNFAIR!!!”
If LSU had a good coach, those teams (loaded with Macdonalds All Americans btw) could have won at least one national championship.
But instead they had Dale Brown.
He was physically dominant but had a bad attitude and was lazy on defense.
Laettner was the better player, and frankly, it's not close. This talk about Shaq deserving to be in the original Dream Team is false; the right guy made it.
@@ronald968I agree. Shaq is so contradictory about him saying he should have been on the Dream Team instead of Laettner, but out of the other side of his mouth he says Laettner used to eat him alive and was the better player in college.
The powers that be wanted the best college player on that team and it was Laettner by a light year.
@@broaddusmarinescoach or no coach he had enough talent alongside him. Shaq was paired with the NCAAs leading scorer as a freshman for one season.
Shaq should've at least been able to lead LSU to the Sweet 16 one of those 3 years!
From a physical standpoint, Shaq was the toughest to deal with, but Laettner was tgd better player and definitely deserved to make the Dream Team.
From a physical standpoint, Shaq was the toughest to deal with, but Laettner was tgd better player and definitely deserved to make the Dream Team.
and they wonder why Christian Laettner was chosen over shaq for the dream team amateur spot.
Was he a center ?
I don't, never have.
He was a better college player than shaq
@@joejett5084No he was not he just happened to have a better team. But Laettner was never and will not ever be better than Shaquille O'Neal what is wrong with you.
Laettner did not deserve to be on that dream team. There's nothing discriminatory about that Shaquille O'Neal was by far the better player to be on that team.
5:41 Vintage Shaq
What the highlight didn't show was the game was super close until Duke went hack a shaq mode and fouled him every time in the late second half and he bricked every free throw...
Duke the better team. Shaq-Laettner matchup almost equal.
But looking at how Shaq carried his team against a loaded Duke and his moves are signs of future superstardom to come.
They were not equal at all Shaq was by far the better and more dominant player, Laettner just had a better team
The year before Laettner embarrassed him.
@@SJ-ep7sw Exactly and that Duck Team was one of the best in the history of modern college ball. Christian got all the love but the Hill guys were the ones who did all the dirty work on that team.
@@zachmartin1458 How did Laettner embarrass Shaq? Laettner never guarded Shaq and Shaq never guarded Laettner and if Laettner had guarded Shaq, it would be nothing short of pure embarrassment for Laettner.
@@PA-zt6xu Exactly, why do people dismiss the fact that the Hills were on that team. That Duke team was absolutely loaded so people need to quit trying to pretend like Christian Laettner could carry a team by himself because there's no way in hell, he was not that type of player.
IF You thought Shaq was unstoppable in nba, watch him in college.. DAMN
Once Christian Laettner played Shaq in the NBA it was a total difference story just watch the 1996 NBA playoffs game 1 of the first Round when Shaq put up 41 points against Laettner.. He dominated the whole series
Did he win a chip?
And he had dominated Shaq in the NCAAs.
No shit clown .
What happened to Bobby Hurley? He wasn’t in the starting five.
That LSU team was pretty good. They had Shaq of course but his supporting cast was pretty good too. Chris Jackson played there and it was before he was Mahmoud -Abdul Rauf!!
Lol!
They made the NCAA TOURNAMENT for that season
Soy fanatico de Rauf ❤
Hurley was out and this enabled Coach K to use Grant Hill at the point. It actually helped Duke in the tournament overcoming that setback.
Excelente !! 🎉 shaq laettner y hill hoy seguirian siendo grandes estrellas de la liga !!
A spot on the dream team was on the line. Just shows how good college basketball was at this time.
No it was not. CL played with Team USA and had the deeper college résumé. Shaq didn’t risk it, as he correctly gambled on himself as the top pick and better pro. Clearly, as one of the GOATS, he was correct
I remember watching this on tv
3:16 that was really smooth. If he did that in the NBA I didn’t see it
He certainly has
Shaq was such a freak of nature
its amazing how good some of these guys were in college and never made it to the nba
Man, college ball doesn’t look like that anymore. Heck the NBA barely does these days.
The Laetner/ Shaq side by side comparrsion was hilarious. They gave Shaq a black background and you cant even see him 😂
Poor Laettner wasn’t even allowed to play in the Monte Carlo game. At least he got to witness the greatest game of all time that the NBA won’t release the complete footage of.
Where is Bobby Hurley?
Injured his foot against UNC the previous game so Grant was the primary ballhandler for a couple of weeks
Use to watch those CATS all da time. Man Shaq was a beast ,Ceasar,Brandon. The had a squad. Jefferson Pilot TV lol bck in da day and where I'm from
That Duke team was great.
Was LSU exempt from the 3-second rule? Shaq be up in thar fo a minute!
Where was Hurley in this game
Out with a broken foot
When Baton Rouge LA was a DECENT CITY TO LIVE IN. NOW THAT BIH RATCHET RATCHET
I’m from Valley City, ND! I totally forgot about Andersen playing with SHAQ and LSU! I do remember another Valley City, ND star playing with the Kansas Jayhawks! Jeff Boschee! He was way better than Justin Andersen
Boschee was on my favorite Jayhawks team of all time 2002
Don't forget Guldseth who Dale Brown recruited to play shooting guard along with Jackson, Roberts, and Shaq. Guldseth had more game than Anderson or Boschee.
Grant Hill was the best player for duke
Seemed like young Shaq was more skilled that old Shaq
He was allowed to play bully ball in the NBA. If played the same in college he would have fouled out of every college game.
Depends on which old Shaq you're talking about! Shaq was a dominant force to be reckoned with whether he was in college or whether he was in the NBA.
@@SJ-ep7sw he was dominant but he just used his bulk in the NBA
More skilled *THAN, not THAT
7:52 Almost looked like a Shaq to Koby especially with that 24 jersey on.
*Kobe - f***ing CASUALS 🤨😳 spell his name correctly or simply be silent
Laettner brought out Joe Pesci's leather jacket in " My Cousin Vinny "
Always a hoot to see Shaq young, he was positively svelte back then. Didn't last long, a few years into the NBA he started turning into the mountainous Shaq we know today but he could do some amazingly athletic things when he wasn't carrying those extra pounds. Laettner actually played him pretty even, except on the defensive end, there Shaq was a shot blocking machine which should have turned the game in their favor but Duke just had too much all around talent for LSU.
Actually you are incorrect. Phil during his time in LA encouraged Shaq to get bigger and actually him being bigger allowed him to be even more dominate. Teams had to carry 3 and 4 centers because he would foul out entire teams big men.
wth is the score?
6:26 “Gimme that shit” 😤 🏀
Shaq really threw it all away didn’t he, imagine what he could have achieved if he really tried in the nba….
Damn, Duke was loaded
Pepsi used to do those March madness contests with teams under the bottle caps. We would all collect them at school. In the 90s if you had Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky you felt like you probably had the winner.
Christian Laettner was invited to first and only true Dream Team 1992 Barcelona. If it was Shaq that would be just ..it. Nowadays it would be Shaq who would be invited.
Shaq was the only player on that LSU team who would have started for Duke.
Thank you, Christian Laettner, for being such an inspiration to white basketball players..
Thoughiut NCAA history, there hasn't been another player on your level, sir.
*Inspiration to all basketball players
Whole lot of hyperbole there.
Where is Bobby Hurley I can’t figure out was he suspended or sick he was the best point guard in the country at the time well for what duke needed he was the best
he was out with a broken hand
Shaq aint really capping he was greek freak before greek freak problem is shaq gain weight in nba and only just post games so if giannis old he has second option is to gain weight Hahaha be like shaq
Shaq was a monster in college, but everyone knew he would be even better in the pros. Because 1 he would be surrounded by better shooters and two because unlike college in the pros defensive players weren't allowed to just stand in the paint and clog up the lane in the NBA. So teams would have to play Shaq one on one or send a double. One of the reason LSU would lose in the tournament with shaq was because teams would play a box & 1 or play a 2-3 defense and basically surround shaq with 3 or 4 defenders and LSU guards usually ran could in the tournament.
@@PA-zt6xuran *COLD, not COULD
@@MultilinguistGlobalFitBlessed You know what I meant.
dang shaq moved quickly!!
Where was Hurley?
about the 10th person to comment this today haha- broken foot.
@@KentBlazemore thanks
❤Shaq ❤Shaq ❤Shaq ❤
🎉 Shaquille O'Neal ❤❤❤
Now this is basketball. Not that trash currently moonlighting as it on CBS
Shaq should have been the one chosen by the 92 dream team
Not at all. Laettner was the better college player and had just come off of back to back titles and 4 straight Final Fours.
And by the way shaq is from Newark New Jersey
Shaq was small in college and still big.
UNBELIEVABLE that Shaq was left off the Dream Team, and Laettner goes.
🤦♂️
Sure. OK.
Yeah, unbelievable that they would put the consensus NCAA player of the year on the team.
@@bauerj3398 Nope.
What is unbelievable that they put a great COLLEGE player on the team, but NOT one of the Top 50 Professional Players on the team.
CL was a great college player, but had a mediocre pro career at best. Just disappeared.
Shaq was a dominant college player, who turned into a dominant pro player. One of the Top centers of all time.
🙄
Absurd and Ridiculous
@@cheerwhiner7829 Nothing unbelievable about it. Up to that point, it is was all college players. They were transitioning to professionals for the first time, and reserved one spot for a college player.
@@bauerj3398 For the Olympics, the goal is to take the Best Players (IT argument aside)- imagine Shaq’s dunks during those games vs CL’s… what did he do on that team?
I don’t even remember.
SHAQ almost ended Grant Hills career. The team didn't know how to best utilize Shaq.
Back when NCAA basketball floors didn’t look absolutely ridiculous.
why didnt grant hill come out as a SO in the 92 draft?? clearly the best player on the duke team... shaq should have came out of HS too lol
most of the starters never even made it to the NBA. The League is really the best of the best.
The white guy at 2:02 looks like he's 50 years old.
It's a crime that the '92 Dream Team didn't have Shaq.
Laettner deserved his spot
I kind of agree from where they were in '92, but history and both players' complete basketball legacies says otherwise. Plus, Laettner made almost zero impact. Shaq would have been a scary guy to bring off the bench.@@FuShengAlex
@@mmclaurin8035 they didn't have anything to go on based on nba production though. Laettner was the best collegiate player.
Quite frankly I think Shaq had a extremely disappointing NCAA career winning wise. He should've at least been able to lead LSU to the Sweet 16 at least once. He joined the nation's leading scorer his freshman year. He had a future nba teammate in Stanley Roberts one year too.
No college guys were going to get playing time, not even shaq. @@mmclaurin8035
@@FuShengAlexLaettner’s college coach was about 100 times better than Shaq’s college coach
Christian lit up Shaq, because the big fella knew to keep his big ol' butt on the block 😄 Otherwise, Duke would've ran lay ups all night long 🏀
How come they did not show Shaq making any……. Free throws ? 🤔
In last few years I have become a Hard Right republican (i'll just say I hate libreals so much and everything about them and who they support) , and I'm sure every person would think H8 all blacks and the R word, well look I got my opinion for sure.... but when it comes to Shaq? Love this guy! For almost 30 years he has been such a good role model, funny guy, and charmer. Love everything about Shaq!
Is there a college team today that could beat either of these teams?
Lsu didn't make the Sweet 16 even once during Shaqs 3 years I'm sure some teams today could beat them.
As for 91-92 Duke i hated them with a passion and it pains me to say it....they're the greatest NCAA team I've ever seen (started watching mid 80s). They only lost 2 games that season by a combined total of 6 points.
@@FuShengAlex Good points 👍
NC State?
@@FuShengAlex90-91 UNLV and 96 Kentucky r the 2 best college bball teams ever, 92 Duke is prob top 5 all time but 99 Duke might actually be better and 99 UConn who beat them in the title game lol...and that's comin from me a millennial genius 😁
@@ckack1372 96 Kentucky could be argued as the greatest team ever. They're the most deepest team of any champion. I think they had 9 future NBA players on their roster. A lot of former McDonald's All Americans that took a lesser role (couldve been immediate stars elsewhere right off the bat) to play on a stacked team.
I wouldn't ever say they were in trouble in the 96 Finals vs John Wallace and Syracuse, but I think 92 Duke would've blown that team outta the water by a larger margin. Both 96 Kentucky and 92 Duke finished 34-2.....the teams that beat them those years had to play at a near perfect level for all 40 minutes.
WAS BOBBY HURLEY INJURED FOR THIS GAME??
yes, broken foot.
bobby was the truth
Shaq was so mobile and fluid when he was young. After a couple years in the NBA he became this immobile man mountain.
Classic DUEL
The time when centers would do center stuff and not just lob 3s.
I believe since 1992 that O'neal lost from Laettner
Now i know, it was because of Grant Hill, sigh
duke all day long
lets see lsu vs arkansas-the big o-oliver miller shur down shaq-this is a fact
Laettner was a monster