@@donaldkeys4986 In college he WAS better than Shaq and Mourning (just go look up the Duke vs LSU game if you don't believe me). The difference was Laettner maximized his ability while in college and never was able to get any better while Shaq and Mourning still had untapped potential when they came into the NBA and became HOFers.
@@donwhiteley3293 yes he was but playing against grown men hell no a lot of players are good in college but not in pros look at patrick from George Town good in both college players are kids he was too soft against grown men
Laettner's night vs. Kentucky is absolutely wild! Not only did he hit "that" shot, he hit every other shot he took that night, too. 31 pts. on 10-10 FG (1-1 3pt.) and 10-10 FT in a game your team won by a single point has to be among the most impressive stat lines in history.
This notion everyone thought Shaq was better in 1992 is pure nonsense. That was very debatable. It was some years later when people started to rewrite that history. Laettner compiled one of the most impressive college careers in NCAA history. No shame whatsoever in selecting him for the first Dream Team.
He had just led the Blue Devils to two straight national titles. Plus, the Dream Team already had Robinson and Ewing. There wasn’t room for another 5. I think the selection, at the time, makes perfect sense.
And that decision is what destroyed his professional career he was already hated why give people a reason to hate him more I mean be for real no matter who joined the dream team from college they wasn’t getting no pt until the game was out of hand and over with I believe if they just took shaq and let him work on his image during the summer he would be more like a dan marjele kind of guy not the greatest but a solid nba player
Anyone who says Shaq should've been selected is immature and cannot separate how they know Shaq's greatness today and back then. Laettner was far and away the better pick in 1992. I don't like him, but facts are facts. Only fools involve emotions in factual conversations.
Everyone knew Shaq was GOING TO BE the better pro. That's why there was all the hype around him despite never getting far in the NCAA tournament. Shaq had prospect written all over him. In fact, when Pat Williams went to the 1992 NBA draft lotto representing Orlando, he brought a Magic jersey with the name plate "O'Neal" sewed that he was ready show off if the Magic won the lotto (which they obviously did). What most people also acknowledge, though, was that Laettner had a far more successful collegiate career and was a better college player. But Shaq was the guy everyone wanted.
Shaq - “I was mad, but it just gave me more motivation to be better. I was very upset, but then let me tell you something that my father wanted known that was real, ‘Hey, man, he won two in college , what’d you do?’ And then first time I played him, he killed me. He destroyed me. I’m not racist or anything, but that white boy ate me up.”
Laettner was basically Siakam with a little more physicality and finesse, but less versatility and spatial awareness on the court. It's a shame he didn't have the chance to play a proper second-option to a proper scoring or playmaking guard. He would have definitely done a lot better than he ultimately ended up doing.
He played with Mookie Blaylock, who was a pretty good playmaker, and his years on Atlanta were his best NBA seasons. He also would've been better now in today's game. He was a legit stretch 4, stretch 5, but those guys didn't shoot threes much back then. if he was in the league now, he'd be taking 5-6 threes a game, and making them at a decent clip.
4:30 Even in recent years, I remember Shaquille O'Neal saying that Christian Laettner was not a wrong choice (over him) for the Dream Team, because of what Laettner accomplished in college.
Anyone who had been paying attention at the time knew that. That team didn’t need a 3rd Center. It needed another Forward to occasionally/potentially spell Bird when he needed a rest. But, Barkley was such a beast that Laettner’s addition proved irrelevant. But, it never meant he shouldn’t have been there.
It was so weird seeing Jordan and Laettner as starting teammates on the Wizards. Also '92 top 3 picks Shaq, Mourning and Laettner on the Heat that one year
I was born in Seattle in 1973, where I grew up. I also noticed around 2005, that the Heat had Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Laettner, all on the same team! I think they also had Clarence Weatherspoon on that team, too, or another lottery pick from the 1992 draft.
Out of the 1st 12 picks Shaq,Zo, Christian Laettner, Jim Jackson,Laphonso Elliss, Clarence Weatherspoon, Walt Williams,Todd Day, and of course Harold Miner all played for the Heat
Great job on this video. Laitner was a complicated guy and assessing his career is far more complicated than most people want to acknowledge. Was he as good of a pro as he was a college player? No, but he was a very good pro. Most people just can't seem to judge him on the merits of his pro career alone without dragging in the expectations they had for him coming out of college. Was he a jerk? Yeah. But many of us were in our 20's. He matured and by all accounts is a great guy now.
Mr. Sasshole no! Stop it! Stop it right there! He was an asshole rich kid who belittled Shaq for being black and overweight hahahaha. He steps on black people because they are beneath him. That's all we got to say about that. Christian Laitner is the Dark Lord of Basketball!
Laettner ...had the game to be great .....people never look at his how many minutes he played per game ....or lack thereof ....and how good a defensive player he was ...
Everybody knew Christian Laettner''s name in the early 90's. Some hated him, but all the other's weren't sure what to think of him. Thanks for the vid!
I hate how race seems to be a factor in everything, but most people that disliked his attitude or supposed “arrogance” have no problem with a non-white player who acts like that.
Did you really just imply that “non-white” athletes get away with being arrogant? Do you mean to suggest The Fab Five didn’t catch any flak during that same period? Were you around when Ewing was at Georgetown? You think everyone loved them at the time? You familiar with P.K. Subban? There’s a pro athlete from the last decade with less arrogance and attitude than most. But, try explaining that to his detractors who don’t know the difference between cocky and confident. I hate “how race seems to be a factor in everything”, too. But, you’re fooling yourself if you’re thinking it’s the white guys getting the short end.
@@Fakename70 Good reading comprehension buddy, I did imply that. How many of the guys you listed have their careers defined by being arrogant. With Latner, it is the first thing people think of, including me, but as a two time NCAA Champion and Olympic gold medalist I don’t think that should be his greatest notoriety.
I still remember the 30 for 30 about the Fab Five. They all thought Laettner was overrated before they played him, but after they played against him, they thought he could ball, haha!... whoops, there’s the video! My bad!
He was good, not a star or a franchise player, but pretty solid actually. He's a good 2nd or 3rd option on a contender. He's like the Kris Middleton or Deandre Ayton type of player who's a good 3rd option. Solid and reliable
Firstly, Ive been a Duke fan since 1987, but like every comment, I will be as honest as I can. Laettner at Duke was absolutely amazing. He was the leader of one of the greatest teams in the history of the NCAA (1991/1992 Duke). Confident, great 3pt shooter (48%), and was skilled enough with his back to the basket to get you the points you need inside. More importantly...he won, and he won ALOT. He still holds the NCAA records for most career points in the NCAA tournament and most games played. In fact the only way someone could break Laettner's all time record in games played is to play in 4 straight NCAA championship games. In the NBA, he was one of those guys that can be labeled a "solid player". Now with that being said, I will be honest and tell you that Laettner's biggest issue was his athleticism. He was slow and in the NBA among some of the great athletes in the world, he wasnt able to keep up physically. He did alot of things well but wasnt going to take over a game like Shaq. Thats not to say he didnt do well, averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds a game in his career. The simple truth was he just wasnt.....great. In the end, Laettner had ALOT of hype surrounding him and just didnt live up to it, but his ability as a basketball player allowed him to play for 13 years in the NBA.
I agree that he was under APPRECIATED but he was responsible for the situation by his arrogant manner and cocky attitude he was the Larry Bird of suburbia in the day.
Didn't own him. Outplayed frosh Shaq in easy win at Cameron but was outplayed at LSU by Sha q. The key was that he mostly neutralized Shaq on a superior team
One of the greatest college basketball players EVER. Some people think he was a bust in the NBA because he never reached the level of dominance he had in college but he a had a decent 14 yr NBA career.
Better than Duncan? No. Better than Russel, Wilt, Bird or Magic? No. Better than Pistol Pete or Lew Alcindor? Not even close. I'm not sure he was better than Jordan as a college player. Laettner was definitely in the top 20 or so, but he might not even be in the top 5 of the ACC (Jordan, Sampson, Duncan, Bias and Thompson are all going to have strong cases vs. him). He did make one of the greatest shots in NCAA Tournament history though...
@Briscoe17555 I just did a quick search - across Bleacher Report, basketball.fandom.com, ESPN and others exactly ZERO have him in the Top 5, one has him in the top 10 and most have him somewhere between 11 and 20. Sorry brother. I live about 15 miles from Duke. I saw him play several times in college, and have been deeply-engaged with college hoops most of my life. It's not taking anything away from him that he was Top 25 ever. But you don't have to work hard to see he's not even close to the Top 5 of all time in the NCAA (I mean really - Alcindor/Kareem, Bill Russell and Wilt are easily above him). If he's in the Top 3 for the ACC, it's at #3, but in reality he's probably 4th or maybe 5th for the ACC. Considering what the ACC has yielded, that's rare air...
@Briscoe17555 You said Top 3. He's not. He's probably not even Top 3 ACC - If Thompson and Duncan are #1 and #2, you're going to have to build a hell of a case vs. Sampson and Jordan (though it's possible within the realm of perspective/what you value). If you define "One of the best ever NCAA" as Top 20, I could easily agree with that.
12 yr old me watching him play on duke with Bobby grant and the bunch was something special. Unlv and then the fab 5 they all had some great games. Special absolutely and laetner still had an amazing pro career. People hated him lol
@@-HughJass- crying shame and I have family from New Jersey who were around his family in jersey city and saint Anthony’s high school. Elite school for ball back in the 80’s and 90’s his pops is a legend as well for coaching
Laettner is a perfect example of how important *team* is in this team sport. We like to highlight superstar players, because the media likes to tell stories, and it's easier to focus a story on a single protagonist. Was Christian Laettner a superstar who could single-handedly carry a franchise to a NBA Championship? No. But no such Superstar exists.
I think you nailed it when you said "by the time Laettner got to NBA, his name was already fully developed(in the college) he never really improved afterward". He was an intelligent and fundamentally solid player, but lack of physical gift like Shaq and Zo to compete in NBA. And also, I feel that Laettner seemed to have lost his confidence a bit when he got to NBA(probably due to his miserable experience with T-Woves), later in his career, on so many occasions when he could have just shoot the ball he chose to pass instead.
That doesn't say much for today's game my man. He was on the Dream Team, sort of a lucky break. Good enough to make and hold a spot in The League for several years, no denying that. But ahead of his time? Does that mean he was a bit soft for the 90s but he would fit it great in the current league that whistles soft calls on the regs? He was better than his college teammate and fellow NBAer Cherokee Parks but amazing... let's not get ahead of ourselves. Vince Carter was amazing, CL was a serviceable role player.
@@billbixby557 It's because the game before 2010 was still mostly played from the inside-out. Playing with your back to the basket, posting up, getting the ball down low to the big man. Big men were supposed to bang down low, not be shooting outside shots like Laettner. The game nowadays is soft, defense is penalized, they prioritize 3s & playing from the outside-in. His game was more like what we see today, but he was playing in a time of dominant big men where the game was still seen as focusing around big men, post play, rough defense, hand checking, etc... He had to play in an Era of brutally tough inside competition at the 4 & 5 positions. The 4s&5s now don't even touch the level of physicality seen back then.
@@-HughJass- great analysis of the game, past and present. I've noticed a change in big regular season games and in the post-season; you start to see more picks, more cuts to the basket and iso plays on the block for competent big man when the game is on the line. After a good 10 year stretch of NBA ball, my hometown Rockets in particular, watching players heave 3s until their shoulder pops out of the socket, players / coaches are warming back up to the idea of smart midrange / inside play. Just as the NBA went too far one way with the mid 90s Miami vs NYK 61-67 slugfests I think we are starting to see a happy medium between the 3, which is still king of course, and good solid NBA action inside of the 3 line.
The 90s were my prime for following the NBA and Christian was never bad, but he also did not have as high a ceiling as Shaq and Zo and Penny and Grant, etc. He reached his ceiling as a baller while still in college and that was good enough to have a 13 year career in the NBA. He was very steady and reliable and a quite a few teams wanted him as a piece, just not THE piece. He has nothing to be ashamed of. Ironically, I think he would have been even better in today's NBA.
Instead of letting him play his game, they turned him into a journeyman. Too many teams without a true big man so Laettner had to step in and wear many hats. He's a ballsy dude and very fun to watch.
Laettner was born about 15-20 years too early. He could’ve been a poor man’s Nowitzki if he had come into the league at a time when guys that size were allowed to be stretch 4’s instead of being pigeonholed as centers and power forwards. He could’ve even played small forward and been a matchup problem because his size he could play over the top of most players at that position. He could handle the rock pretty decent he could pass and shoot from the outside. If they had let him play the game most suited to his skill set instead of trying to force him into a role he didn’t fit he might’ve had a better career.
Absolutely. He'd be a legit stretch 4 or 5 in that era, and he'd honestly be very good if he played now. He was a very good shooter for a guy his size, but big men really didn't play of the perimeter all that much then. He couldn't play the three (not athletic enough, nor did he have the ball skills for that), but, he'd be a REALLY good 4 or 5 in the eras that followed him.
He had a better NBA career than he gets credit for. Unfortunately, he's better remembered for two things: 1) His spectacular college career, and 2) being the asterisk* on the Dream Team ---- the college guy, the only one not in the basketball Hall of Fame.
When they picked Laettner to play on the Dream Team, the real story was that they just didn´t have no use for a third big man - Ewing and Robinson were simply more than enough of what was needed in the paint. Implementing Shaq would have been nothing but jugglery, disturbing the players on other positions and the game itsself.
There were a lot of really incredible college stars that amounted to a lot less in the NBA. Anyone remember Calbert Cheaney? 13 years in the NBA, fair chance he played for your favorite team, and, still, the only people that remember him are Indiana University fans.
Shhhiiiiddd grant hill. Grant was the X factor for them beating unlv. Bobby Hurley quoted that. And grant took duke by himself to the championship game in Charlotte I’m 1994. Where they lost to Scottie Thurman Arkansas
Laettner showed respect to everyone on the Dream team, and when Jordan, Bird and Magic hazed him daily by telling him to grab their laundry, food and coffee, he took it like a man. He knew his place and everyone on the team had a positive opinion of CL after. They actually thought he was gonna b*tch about it, but they thought wrong.
As a kid in the early 90s, I thought Laettner was such a villain. As an adult in my now-40s, I see how really solid he was in both college and pros. He was never going to be one to go supernova for 30-40 points a night. Yet he was a component that would be welcome to any squad.
Hey man I like your channel and I respect what you do..... I'm 45 I grew up watching the '80s and 90s myself. I say that to say this..... If you comfortable enough with the title of your video being a true statement....then you should be comfortable enough with somebody asking why it's true.... I didn't say anything controversial and I didn't disparage anybody. You should put it back bro.... Especially because of the times we live in.....
you said he kept being the same, avg around 18 ppg and 8-9 rpg. but with ppg, remember, his highest avg shots/game was 13. when stars avg 20+ ppg, were and are taking more like 18. So if Laettner was able to take 18 shots a game, he would have avg 24+ ppg. Look at KG, who replaced Laettner. he only avg 20+ ppg when taking 16-19 shots a game???? Laettner was never really given the chance to be a star. after Laettner was drafted in 92, who did the Wolves draft after? Isiah Rider, Donyell Marshall, KG. If Minnesota made him their star, like they did with KG, he would have been avg 16-19 shots a game, would have avg 22+ ppg. instead of drafting Rider, why not reunite him with Hurley? Altho, MINN was also very unlucky with draft lottery. think about it. 93, they had #5 pick, you know who was #4? Jamal Mashburn. 94, they had the #4 pick, you know who was #3? Grant Hill.
I dunno....hated is a strong word. He was resented a bit because he was given a place on the Dream Team which he did not deserve. But he was a good player, if not great, and he seems like a stand-up guy.
Depends on what you mean by "didn't deserve". Was he one of the best 12 US players at the time? No. However, USA basketball made the decision as an organization that they would pay respect to the amateur history of the Olympics and reserve 1 spot on the team for a college player. Laettner was the best college player at that time. He wasn't the most physically gifted and others had more potential, but he was the best.
Nice job, Sean. It’s good that you revisit the careers and honor players who were solid, even if they weren’t top rung. Also, Laetner’s career is in a essential way typical of many college greats who fail to perform at the same level in the pros. By the way, Charles Barkley now believes the Olympic team should be reserved for college players. I think he’s right- I never appreciated the Dream Team, to be honest. Of course, they were bound to dominate.
Why should our college players be forced to beat pros from other countries, particularly, when many countries have a couple of NBA players? The decision to allow pros from the US is EXACTLY what expanded the international game to what it is today. If you find yourself agreeing with Barkley, carefully reassess that stance.
I wouldn't compare Laettner with Bird as a pro, more like Laimbeer, if Laimbeer'd never been traded to Detroit and put with right coach/teammates. Dude was mean and wanted to win in college, he just never found his role and motivation as a pro. His head stomp on Eric Montross was just vicious!
Man, I couldn't STAND Christian Laettner. (BTW, I think we all kinda know that "hate" in a sports context isn't actual hatred. He might have been a perfectly nice guy in real life for all I know. I "hate" Tom Brady too, but I was a Colts fan, so I "loved" Peyton Manning whereas lots of other people would be the other way around.) Anyway. Christian Laettner always struck me as being every bit as dirty as Laimbeer, only he wasn't as good as Laimbeer--which isn't a knock, because Laimbeer was actually an extremely good player imo, although I couldn't stand him, either.
Everyone is hard on Christian Laetner. He actually had a amazing college career and a decent pro career. And he's definitely not soft, he was blocking shots, getting steals, and making big shots.
Laettner was an undersized big man for that time. Had he gotten into the league during the mid-2000's he'd be a star. He had a game similar, but not as good, as Dirk. Big guys didn't play all over the court and drive to the hoop during his era. They posted up and game was played below the free throw line. Overall a solid player.
His NBA career was similar to how Pistol Pete got dealt. High profile guy, coming out of college with lights all over him, goes to a series of sucky teams with sucky coaches and he's got a target on his back. If only he could have been like James Worthy and gone to a SUPER team coming out of college, he'd have had a better career and would have had time to develop as a player. People forget, Jordan, in all his greatness could not carry a team to a finals on his OWN and just imagine if the Bulls had dumped him off to some other scrub team and that was all his career was, a series of dumps to the highest bidder/most desperate franchise. Remember Vince Carter? The stories of awesome college guys that have disappointing NBA careers are a dime a dozen. His draft class? Shaq went to the Magic...uh, just LOOK at that stacked team!!
The main reason I wish they selected Shaq over Laettner was just so we could say the Dream Team had 12 legit Naismith Hall of Famers. But other than that, it's hard to argue with the selection. A guy who was that good in college earned his spot.
For a short time, he was actually my favorite nba player.. This was during his all star season in atlanta.. I was maybe 13 or 14.. I would even argue that he was better than olajuwon.. lol.. im 37 now turning 38..
Shaq did not belong on the Dream Team. At the time of choosing a college player, there was no better choice than Laettner. Not only did he own Shaq in college when they faced off, he was one of the most decorated college players ever and, perhaps the most important factor that Jerry Angelo considered when selecting Laettner… his international playing experience from the Pan American games. Laettner was the right choice and had the best attitude about being on that team. He had no problems carrying bags and being the team bitch. The perfect selection.
He was a very solid player but people just had different expectation of him. People benchmarked his college years + Team USA, people benchmarked Shaq and Zo, people benchmarked other PF/C during his time which were stacked, Hakeem, Ewing, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman, Shawn Kemp, Derrick Coleman in addition to Shaq and Zo, they expected him to turn into Larry Bird 2.0, etc. It also didn't help that popularity was heading towards G/SF like Kobe, Grant Hill, Pippen, Penny, Kidd, Iverson, Stackhouse, Stoudamire, Marbury and MJ's return just amplified that even more.
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I met him in person a few times at church activities in NC. One of the nicest guys I've ever met
Where does he live at nowadays?
He was that bad? Lol just kidding
Yes but to put ahead of shack and morning was a joke
@@donaldkeys4986 In college he WAS better than Shaq and Mourning (just go look up the Duke vs LSU game if you don't believe me). The difference was Laettner maximized his ability while in college and never was able to get any better while Shaq and Mourning still had untapped potential when they came into the NBA and became HOFers.
@@donwhiteley3293 yes he was but playing against grown men hell no a lot of players are good in college but not in pros look at patrick from George Town good in both college players are kids he was too soft against grown men
He was a great player in college and even though he wasn’t a NBA super star, he was one of those players every team would like to have.👍
Well he has a Gold Medal as the Only College Player on the Dream Team
Christian Leattner was a great player in NBA.
The hatred towards Laettner was simply because he was a pretty boy.
Still made an all star team
To warm the bench and bring in 👱🏻♂️-💵 who imagine him in Duke riding off Grant Hill. Sure.
Laettner's night vs. Kentucky is absolutely wild! Not only did he hit "that" shot, he hit every other shot he took that night, too.
31 pts. on 10-10 FG (1-1 3pt.) and 10-10 FT in a game your team won by a single point has to be among the most impressive stat lines in history.
Can't do much better than that, especially in college. Thirty in college isn't the same as thirty in the NBA, it's harder in college it seems like.
An all-time great College Player, a good NBA Player, and one of the most HATED PLAYERS.
Truth is Truth, and he had a great game.
Legendary college career. He was a real good pro. He should be very proud with what he did on the court.
Christian Leattner was a great player in NBA.
This notion everyone thought Shaq was better in 1992 is pure nonsense. That was very debatable. It was some years later when people started to rewrite that history. Laettner compiled one of the most impressive college careers in NCAA history. No shame whatsoever in selecting him for the first Dream Team.
He had just led the Blue Devils to two straight national titles. Plus, the Dream Team already had Robinson and Ewing. There wasn’t room for another 5. I think the selection, at the time, makes perfect sense.
And that decision is what destroyed his professional career he was already hated why give people a reason to hate him more I mean be for real no matter who joined the dream team from college they wasn’t getting no pt until the game was out of hand and over with I believe if they just took shaq and let him work on his image during the summer he would be more like a dan marjele kind of guy not the greatest but a solid nba player
Anyone who says Shaq should've been selected is immature and cannot separate how they know Shaq's greatness today and back then. Laettner was far and away the better pick in 1992. I don't like him, but facts are facts. Only fools involve emotions in factual conversations.
Everyone knew Shaq was GOING TO BE the better pro. That's why there was all the hype around him despite never getting far in the NCAA tournament. Shaq had prospect written all over him. In fact, when Pat Williams went to the 1992 NBA draft lotto representing Orlando, he brought a Magic jersey with the name plate "O'Neal" sewed that he was ready show off if the Magic won the lotto (which they obviously did).
What most people also acknowledge, though, was that Laettner had a far more successful collegiate career and was a better college player. But Shaq was the guy everyone wanted.
Shaq - “I was mad, but it just gave me more motivation to be better. I was very upset, but then let me tell you something that my father wanted known that was real, ‘Hey, man, he won two in college , what’d you do?’ And then first time I played him, he killed me. He destroyed me. I’m not racist or anything, but that white boy ate me up.”
I liked him. Liked all those all-round above-average players. Another one: Tom Gugliotta.
Clarence Whitherspoon too.
Danny Manning.
Jeff hornscek
Keith Van Horn and Andrei Kirilenko also fit this mold
@@FIeeceJohnson good ol ak was a freak as well
This channel should be much larger.
Laettner was basically Siakam with a little more physicality and finesse, but less versatility and spatial awareness on the court. It's a shame he didn't have the chance to play a proper second-option to a proper scoring or playmaking guard. He would have definitely done a lot better than he ultimately ended up doing.
Exactly
Wow a comparison from a white dude to black dude props! Most comparisons are lazy
He played with Mookie Blaylock, who was a pretty good playmaker, and his years on Atlanta were his best NBA seasons. He also would've been better now in today's game. He was a legit stretch 4, stretch 5, but those guys didn't shoot threes much back then. if he was in the league now, he'd be taking 5-6 threes a game, and making them at a decent clip.
I wasn't the biggest fan of his but Laettner had G. You gotta give credit where credit is due.
Christian Leattner was a great player in NBA.
The hatred towards Laettner was simply because he was a pretty boy.
4:30 Even in recent years, I remember Shaquille O'Neal saying that Christian Laettner was not a wrong choice (over him) for the Dream Team, because of what Laettner accomplished in college.
Anyone who had been paying attention at the time knew that. That team didn’t need a 3rd Center. It needed another Forward to occasionally/potentially spell Bird when he needed a rest. But, Barkley was such a beast that Laettner’s addition proved irrelevant. But, it never meant he shouldn’t have been there.
Laettner dominated Shaq the two times they played in college.
It was so weird seeing Jordan and Laettner as starting teammates on the Wizards. Also '92 top 3 picks Shaq, Mourning and Laettner on the Heat that one year
I was born in Seattle in 1973, where I grew up. I also noticed around 2005, that the Heat had Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Laettner, all on the same team! I think they also had Clarence Weatherspoon on that team, too, or another lottery pick from the 1992 draft.
Out of the 1st 12 picks Shaq,Zo, Christian Laettner, Jim Jackson,Laphonso Elliss, Clarence Weatherspoon, Walt Williams,Todd Day, and of course Harold Miner all played for the Heat
And don’t forget teammates on the 1992 summer Olympics team in Barcelona!
Great job on this video. Laitner was a complicated guy and assessing his career is far more complicated than most people want to acknowledge. Was he as good of a pro as he was a college player? No, but he was a very good pro. Most people just can't seem to judge him on the merits of his pro career alone without dragging in the expectations they had for him coming out of college. Was he a jerk? Yeah. But many of us were in our 20's. He matured and by all accounts is a great guy now.
Mr. Sasshole no! Stop it! Stop it right there! He was an asshole rich kid who belittled Shaq for being black and overweight hahahaha. He steps on black people because they are beneath him. That's all we got to say about that. Christian Laitner is the Dark Lord of Basketball!
Laettner ...had the game to be great .....people never look at his how many minutes he played per game ....or lack thereof ....and how good a defensive player he was ...
Wrong era for him.
@@dontdoittoyoself6786 .thats actually 😄
Everybody knew Christian Laettner''s name in the early 90's. Some hated him, but all the other's weren't sure what to think of him. Thanks for the vid!
I hate how race seems to be a factor in everything, but most people that disliked his attitude or supposed “arrogance” have no problem with a non-white player who acts like that.
Race is only a factor to those who bring it up besides hate racism discrimination is a part of American culture
@@voltrondefofunv5708 it’s the American way. It a money making media machine
Did you really just imply that “non-white” athletes get away with being arrogant? Do you mean to suggest The Fab Five didn’t catch any flak during that same period? Were you around when Ewing was at Georgetown? You think everyone loved them at the time? You familiar with P.K. Subban? There’s a pro athlete from the last decade with less arrogance and attitude than most. But, try explaining that to his detractors who don’t know the difference between cocky and confident. I hate “how race seems to be a factor in everything”, too. But, you’re fooling yourself if you’re thinking it’s the white guys getting the short end.
@@Fakename70 Good reading comprehension buddy, I did imply that. How many of the guys you listed have their careers defined by being arrogant. With Latner, it is the first thing people think of, including me, but as a two time NCAA Champion and Olympic gold medalist I don’t think that should be his greatest notoriety.
I still remember the 30 for 30 about the Fab Five. They all thought Laettner was overrated before they played him, but after they played against him, they thought he could ball, haha!... whoops, there’s the video! My bad!
I thought he was a very nice addition when the Hawks had him.
Hawks had a really good starting lineup
Those were his best years....those hawks teams were very good, just couldn't get by the Bulls.
Mookie, Steve Smith, Stacy Augman, laetner, and mutumbo was a great lineup.
He was good, not a star or a franchise player, but pretty solid actually. He's a good 2nd or 3rd option on a contender. He's like the Kris Middleton or Deandre Ayton type of player who's a good 3rd option. Solid and reliable
Firstly, Ive been a Duke fan since 1987, but like every comment, I will be as honest as I can. Laettner at Duke was absolutely amazing. He was the leader of one of the greatest teams in the history of the NCAA (1991/1992 Duke). Confident, great 3pt shooter (48%), and was skilled enough with his back to the basket to get you the points you need inside. More importantly...he won, and he won ALOT. He still holds the NCAA records for most career points in the NCAA tournament and most games played. In fact the only way someone could break Laettner's all time record in games played is to play in 4 straight NCAA championship games.
In the NBA, he was one of those guys that can be labeled a "solid player". Now with that being said, I will be honest and tell you that Laettner's biggest issue was his athleticism. He was slow and in the NBA among some of the great athletes in the world, he wasnt able to keep up physically. He did alot of things well but wasnt going to take over a game like Shaq. Thats not to say he didnt do well, averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds a game in his career. The simple truth was he just wasnt.....great. In the end, Laettner had ALOT of hype surrounding him and just didnt live up to it, but his ability as a basketball player allowed him to play for 13 years in the NBA.
He was a really good player . Underapracieted.
I agree that he was under APPRECIATED but he was responsible for the situation by his arrogant manner and cocky attitude he was the Larry Bird of suburbia in the day.
@@delta8kitty491
Stop writing crap.
Laettner was a great great basketball player in NBA.
You're hater ?
Laettner was a great college player in a really good NBA player! Battled with Shaquille O'Neal often and college owned him !!!
Didn't own him. Outplayed frosh Shaq in easy win at Cameron but was outplayed at LSU by Sha q. The key was that he mostly neutralized Shaq on a superior team
Keep it short, a huge fan! Worst things was being drafted by Minnesota! Fearless competitor and great person!
One of the greatest college basketball players EVER. Some people think he was a bust in the NBA because he never reached the level of dominance he had in college but he a had a decent 14 yr NBA career.
the college guy was gonna be a token on the dream team either way, and laettner was WAY more deserving. right call.
He certainly was.
College Player: Top Five of All Time
#1 that saw play
Better than Duncan? No. Better than Russel, Wilt, Bird or Magic? No. Better than Pistol Pete or Lew Alcindor? Not even close. I'm not sure he was better than Jordan as a college player. Laettner was definitely in the top 20 or so, but he might not even be in the top 5 of the ACC (Jordan, Sampson, Duncan, Bias and Thompson are all going to have strong cases vs. him). He did make one of the greatest shots in NCAA Tournament history though...
@Briscoe17555 I just did a quick search - across Bleacher Report, basketball.fandom.com, ESPN and others exactly ZERO have him in the Top 5, one has him in the top 10 and most have him somewhere between 11 and 20. Sorry brother. I live about 15 miles from Duke. I saw him play several times in college, and have been deeply-engaged with college hoops most of my life. It's not taking anything away from him that he was Top 25 ever. But you don't have to work hard to see he's not even close to the Top 5 of all time in the NCAA (I mean really - Alcindor/Kareem, Bill Russell and Wilt are easily above him). If he's in the Top 3 for the ACC, it's at #3, but in reality he's probably 4th or maybe 5th for the ACC. Considering what the ACC has yielded, that's rare air...
@Briscoe17555 So because you remember him and he was a backbone he was the best ever? Crawl back in your troll-hole dude...
@Briscoe17555 You said Top 3. He's not. He's probably not even Top 3 ACC - If Thompson and Duncan are #1 and #2, you're going to have to build a hell of a case vs. Sampson and Jordan (though it's possible within the realm of perspective/what you value). If you define "One of the best ever NCAA" as Top 20, I could easily agree with that.
12 yr old me watching him play on duke with Bobby grant and the bunch was something special. Unlv and then the fab 5 they all had some great games. Special absolutely and laetner still had an amazing pro career. People hated him lol
Shame what happened to Bobby hurley.
@@-HughJass- crying shame and I have family from New Jersey who were around his family in jersey city and saint Anthony’s high school. Elite school for ball back in the 80’s and 90’s his pops is a legend as well for coaching
I’ve been a Duke fan just because of him! I’ve been a fan since the Kentucky game winning shot!
He was really good👍. Solid player
Don't like how you ended this one.... needs a better career recap Sean!
Laettner is a perfect example of how important *team* is in this team sport. We like to highlight superstar players, because the media likes to tell stories, and it's easier to focus a story on a single protagonist. Was Christian Laettner a superstar who could single-handedly carry a franchise to a NBA Championship? No. But no such Superstar exists.
Exactly. I always *HATED* the number of rings argument to "prove" that a player is/was better than another.
Even MJ state that for every ring he got, there was Pippen.
@@blizzard2099 Are you saying that Robert Horry isn't the 2nd best player of all-time?
@@IAmRyan25 LOL NICE!
@@shanessy888 Listen to his Cigar Afficionado interview in full, it's a great vid.
I think you nailed it when you said "by the time Laettner got to NBA, his name was already fully developed(in the college) he never really improved afterward". He was an intelligent and fundamentally solid player, but lack of physical gift like Shaq and Zo to compete in NBA. And also, I feel that Laettner seemed to have lost his confidence a bit when he got to NBA(probably due to his miserable experience with T-Woves), later in his career, on so many occasions when he could have just shoot the ball he chose to pass instead.
But he could compete at the NBA level. Those years through Atlanta were good. Maybe not MVP level or even draft pick 3 level but he was good.
Christian Leattner was a great player in NBA.
Lattener game was ahead of his time. He be amazing in today's game.
That doesn't say much for today's game my man.
He was on the Dream Team, sort of a lucky break.
Good enough to make and hold a spot in The League for several years, no denying that.
But ahead of his time? Does that mean he was a bit soft for the 90s but he would fit it great in the current league that whistles soft calls on the regs?
He was better than his college teammate and fellow NBAer Cherokee Parks but amazing... let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Vince Carter was amazing, CL was a serviceable role player.
@@billbixby557 It's because the game before 2010 was still mostly played from the inside-out. Playing with your back to the basket, posting up, getting the ball down low to the big man. Big men were supposed to bang down low, not be shooting outside shots like Laettner. The game nowadays is soft, defense is penalized, they prioritize 3s & playing from the outside-in. His game was more like what we see today, but he was playing in a time of dominant big men where the game was still seen as focusing around big men, post play, rough defense, hand checking, etc... He had to play in an Era of brutally tough inside competition at the 4 & 5 positions. The 4s&5s now don't even touch the level of physicality seen back then.
@@-HughJass- great analysis of the game, past and present.
I've noticed a change in big regular season games and in the post-season; you start to see more picks, more cuts to the basket and iso plays on the block for competent big man when the game is on the line.
After a good 10 year stretch of NBA ball, my hometown Rockets in particular, watching players heave 3s until their shoulder pops out of the socket, players / coaches are warming back up to the idea of smart midrange / inside play.
Just as the NBA went too far one way with the mid 90s Miami vs NYK 61-67 slugfests I think we are starting to see a happy medium between the 3, which is still king of course, and good solid NBA action inside of the 3 line.
The 90s were my prime for following the NBA and Christian was never bad, but he also did not have as high a ceiling as Shaq and Zo and Penny and Grant, etc. He reached his ceiling as a baller while still in college and that was good enough to have a 13 year career in the NBA. He was very steady and reliable and a quite a few teams wanted him as a piece, just not THE piece. He has nothing to be ashamed of. Ironically, I think he would have been even better in today's NBA.
*The title of this video SOUNDED like it was made for LeBum*
Instead of letting him play his game, they turned him into a journeyman. Too many teams without a true big man so Laettner had to step in and wear many hats. He's a ballsy dude and very fun to watch.
Sean. I love the theme music.
As a Kentucky Fan and resident he was one of the best college players ever,.
The greatest college player of all time
Agree !
I'd go with Kareem AKA Lew Alcindor, who was 88-2 in college and was MOP of the final four three times, but Laettner is definitely in the discussion
Laettner was born about 15-20 years too early. He could’ve been a poor man’s Nowitzki if he had come into the league at a time when guys that size were allowed to be stretch 4’s instead of being pigeonholed as centers and power forwards. He could’ve even played small forward and been a matchup problem because his size he could play over the top of most players at that position. He could handle the rock pretty decent he could pass and shoot from the outside. If they had let him play the game most suited to his skill set instead of trying to force him into a role he didn’t fit he might’ve had a better career.
Absolutely. He'd be a legit stretch 4 or 5 in that era, and he'd honestly be very good if he played now. He was a very good shooter for a guy his size, but big men really didn't play of the perimeter all that much then. He couldn't play the three (not athletic enough, nor did he have the ball skills for that), but, he'd be a REALLY good 4 or 5 in the eras that followed him.
Thanks for the video
He had a better NBA career than he gets credit for. Unfortunately, he's better remembered for two things: 1) His spectacular college career, and 2) being the asterisk* on the Dream Team ---- the college guy, the only one not in the basketball Hall of Fame.
He was a solid NBA rotational player, which is an accomplishment in itself. Many flame out or vanish after a few years.
When they picked Laettner to play on the Dream Team, the real story was that they just didn´t have no use for a third big man - Ewing and Robinson were simply more than enough of what was needed in the paint. Implementing Shaq would have been nothing but jugglery, disturbing the players on other positions and the game itsself.
There were a lot of really incredible college stars that amounted to a lot less in the NBA. Anyone remember Calbert Cheaney? 13 years in the NBA, fair chance he played for your favorite team, and, still, the only people that remember him are Indiana University fans.
Gave Duke their first two chips while single handedly making them the most hated team in college sports. Good work, CL!
He was good at the end of his carrer. Very good to watch.
Hated him but he literally had a legendary career…like Walton, Jabbar-esque
I remember him as the whitest guy in NBA JAM
I always thought it was cool when they played for the Heat and were all on the floor at the same time.
a good player , never been in the right place for 20/10 seasons
He seems solid as heck.
That last guy. I can sense Chris wanted to smack him
Tell me everyone wouldn't take a 4 like him right now
Funny how much his face looked so much like Jason priestly’s was and both were at the heights of their careers about the same time
I remember that buzzer beater
It’s crazy the game against Kentucky he didn’t miss a shot
Very humble cool dude😎
The best Duke player ever in my opinion.
Shhhiiiiddd grant hill. Grant was the X factor for them beating unlv. Bobby Hurley quoted that. And grant took duke by himself to the championship game in Charlotte I’m 1994. Where they lost to Scottie Thurman Arkansas
Laettner showed respect to everyone on the Dream team, and when Jordan, Bird and Magic hazed him daily by telling him to grab their laundry, food and coffee, he took it like a man. He knew his place and everyone on the team had a positive opinion of CL after. They actually thought he was gonna b*tch about it, but they thought wrong.
1992 dream has no SHAQ but Christian Laettner
so u know how good he is
My defining memory: the dude who couldn’t convert white chocolate’s elbow pass
can we please get some love for RASHEED WALLACE. he is the most slept on power forward
Oh man, I love Sheed..
As a kid in the early 90s, I thought Laettner was such a villain. As an adult in my now-40s, I see how really solid he was in both college and pros. He was never going to be one to go supernova for 30-40 points a night. Yet he was a component that would be welcome to any squad.
Hey man I like your channel and I respect what you do..... I'm 45 I grew up watching the '80s and 90s myself.
I say that to say this..... If you comfortable enough with the title of your video being a true statement....then you should be comfortable enough with somebody asking why it's true....
I didn't say anything controversial and I didn't disparage anybody. You should put it back bro....
Especially because of the times we live in.....
you said he kept being the same, avg around 18 ppg and 8-9 rpg. but with ppg, remember, his highest avg shots/game was 13. when stars avg 20+ ppg, were and are taking more like 18. So if Laettner was able to take 18 shots a game, he would have avg 24+ ppg. Look at KG, who replaced Laettner. he only avg 20+ ppg when taking 16-19 shots a game???? Laettner was never really given the chance to be a star. after Laettner was drafted in 92, who did the Wolves draft after? Isiah Rider, Donyell Marshall, KG. If Minnesota made him their star, like they did with KG, he would have been avg 16-19 shots a game, would have avg 22+ ppg. instead of drafting Rider, why not reunite him with Hurley? Altho, MINN was also very unlucky with draft lottery. think about it. 93, they had #5 pick, you know who was #4? Jamal Mashburn. 94, they had the #4 pick, you know who was #3? Grant Hill.
No coach had the balls to actually allow him to score 20 ppg per game ..
Kinda similar to Kevin Love
He white
@@Chevy-hw6lw ...truth ....
@@davidprodigy5833 ..yep ..he was love before ...there was love who created love ...
He was the best college basketball player at that time and deserved his spot on the dream team
I dunno....hated is a strong word. He was resented a bit because he was given a place on the Dream Team which he did not deserve. But he was a good player, if not great, and he seems like a stand-up guy.
At the time he most definitely earned it. In hindsight, he wasn't the best option. But at the time, he was.
Depends on what you mean by "didn't deserve". Was he one of the best 12 US players at the time? No. However, USA basketball made the decision as an organization that they would pay respect to the amateur history of the Olympics and reserve 1 spot on the team for a college player. Laettner was the best college player at that time. He wasn't the most physically gifted and others had more potential, but he was the best.
No, there were definitely people who “hated” Laettner and hated Duke before he was selected for the Olympic squad.
Old school ball...the ONLY basketball worth watching. 👍
Besides maybe street ball.
Dont understand why hate any player unless he did smth personal to you..... did not even know the man's voice till the Dream team doc....
Nice job, Sean. It’s good that you revisit the careers and honor players who were solid, even if they weren’t top rung.
Also, Laetner’s career is in a essential way typical of many college greats who fail to perform at the same level in the pros.
By the way, Charles Barkley now believes the Olympic team should be reserved for college players. I think he’s right- I never appreciated the Dream Team, to be honest. Of course, they were bound to dominate.
Why should our college players be forced to beat pros from other countries, particularly, when many countries have a couple of NBA players?
The decision to allow pros from the US is EXACTLY what expanded the international game to what it is today.
If you find yourself agreeing with Barkley, carefully reassess that stance.
@@IAmRyan25 it should be only amateurs from all nations.
@@MrAdriaxe I'm fine with that as well.
Whats that song at 8 minutes?
I wouldn't compare Laettner with Bird as a pro, more like Laimbeer, if Laimbeer'd never been traded to Detroit and put with right coach/teammates.
Dude was mean and wanted to win in college, he just never found his role and motivation as a pro.
His head stomp on Eric Montross was just vicious!
He looks like he had a solid game.
Angola, New York? Never heard of it.
Great video Chris and Lena was a pretty good Pro
Great ball player.
Man, I couldn't STAND Christian Laettner. (BTW, I think we all kinda know that "hate" in a sports context isn't actual hatred. He might have been a perfectly nice guy in real life for all I know. I "hate" Tom Brady too, but I was a Colts fan, so I "loved" Peyton Manning whereas lots of other people would be the other way around.)
Anyway. Christian Laettner always struck me as being every bit as dirty as Laimbeer, only he wasn't as good as Laimbeer--which isn't a knock, because Laimbeer was actually an extremely good player imo, although I couldn't stand him, either.
Matt Barnes sounds like a young 50 Cent LOL
Always liked Christian Laettner. He was a solid pro for a long time. People who hate him, hate him based on a lie that the sports media put out there.
Everyone is hard on Christian Laetner. He actually had a amazing college career and a decent pro career. And he's definitely not soft, he was blocking shots, getting steals, and making big shots.
Does not take into account that he ruptured his Achilles after his first year in Atlanta and never the same physically
Laettner was an undersized big man for that time. Had he gotten into the league during the mid-2000's he'd be a star. He had a game similar, but not as good, as Dirk. Big guys didn't play all over the court and drive to the hoop during his era. They posted up and game was played below the free throw line. Overall a solid player.
Seriously had no idea he played at Detroit or Washington. Lost track of him after Atlanta.
His NBA career was similar to how Pistol Pete got dealt. High profile guy, coming out of college with lights all over him, goes to a series of sucky teams with sucky coaches and he's got a target on his back. If only he could have been like James Worthy and gone to a SUPER team coming out of college, he'd have had a better career and would have had time to develop as a player. People forget, Jordan, in all his greatness could not carry a team to a finals on his OWN and just imagine if the Bulls had dumped him off to some other scrub team and that was all his career was, a series of dumps to the highest bidder/most desperate franchise. Remember Vince Carter? The stories of awesome college guys that have disappointing NBA careers are a dime a dozen. His draft class? Shaq went to the Magic...uh, just LOOK at that stacked team!!
Next show about Danilovic please :)
Basically your criticism is that Laettner didn't average more ppg and rebounds in the pros than he did in college. Like 99 percent of guys in the NBA.
hated literally just for being that good lol happened to me on a very minor scale in high school
College superstar, and solid pro. He was never going to take over an NBA game but he wasn't deserving of the hate
Wait so Laetner had to deal with being stereotyped because where he went to college? Wouldn’t have guessed that!
The main reason I wish they selected Shaq over Laettner was just so we could say the Dream Team had 12 legit Naismith Hall of Famers. But other than that, it's hard to argue with the selection. A guy who was that good in college earned his spot.
Best college player of all 4yrs I’ve seen.
Hes a good role player. At least he doesnt suck
For a short time, he was actually my favorite nba player.. This was during his all star season in atlanta.. I was maybe 13 or 14.. I would even argue that he was better than olajuwon.. lol.. im 37 now turning 38..
u clearly are a complete clown.
Great college player.
Shaq did not belong on the Dream Team. At the time of choosing a college player, there was no better choice than Laettner. Not only did he own Shaq in college when they faced off, he was one of the most decorated college players ever and, perhaps the most important factor that Jerry Angelo considered when selecting Laettner… his international playing experience from the Pan American games. Laettner was the right choice and had the best attitude about being on that team. He had no problems carrying bags and being the team bitch. The perfect selection.
2:53 whoa! I think today a player would get arrested.?
He was a very solid player but people just had different expectation of him. People benchmarked his college years + Team USA, people benchmarked Shaq and Zo, people benchmarked other PF/C during his time which were stacked, Hakeem, Ewing, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman, Shawn Kemp, Derrick Coleman in addition to Shaq and Zo, they expected him to turn into Larry Bird 2.0, etc. It also didn't help that popularity was heading towards G/SF like Kobe, Grant Hill, Pippen, Penny, Kidd, Iverson, Stackhouse, Stoudamire, Marbury and MJ's return just amplified that even more.
I talked to him on Facebook. He was a good player. He got injured people . 1998 injury