Christian Laettner

Christian Laettner was born and raised in Angola, New York (near Buffalo and Niagara Falls) to a blue-collar Roman Catholic family.[3] His father George, a newspaper press plant printer, was of Polish descent and his grandparents spoke Polish as their first language; his mother Bonnie was a teacher. Christian's older brother Christopher was a strong influence, often bullying young Christian, which helped instill a stern competitive drive.[4] Both boys also frequently worked as farm laborers to supplement their allowance.[3]

Laettner attended the private Nichols School; although he received a financial aid package that paid a substantial part of his tuition, his family had to sacrifice to send him there, and he also did janitorial work at the school to defray some of the cost.[lower-alpha 2] During his career he scored over 2,000 points, breaking the school record set by teammate Ron Torgalski,[5] and the team won two state titles and reached another semifinal.[3] He was a much sought-after college recruit.[lower-alpha 3]

Laettner attended Duke University and played for the basketball team from 1988–92 under coach Mike Krzyzewski. As the team's star player his final two seasons, he led the Blue Devils to the first two national titles in school history.[lower-alpha 4] A four-year starter, he also contributed to their runner-up finish his sophomore year and Final Four appearance in his freshman year.[lower-alpha 5] Thus, in total, he played 23 out of a maximum possible 24 NCAA tournament games, winning 21; both are records.

For his career, Laettner averaged 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while making almost half of his three-pointers.[6] He scored 21.5 points per game his senior season, garnering every major national player of the year award; Duke retired his No. 32 jersey later that year.[7] His career is widely regarded among the best in college history,[lower-alpha 1] and he is enshrined in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.[2]

As the national player of the year, Laettner was the only collegian selected for the prestigious "Dream Team" that won the 1992 Olympic gold medal in dominant fashion. He averaged 4.8 points per game.[15] The team is considered one of the greatest in sports history[16] and was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, FIBA Hall of Fame, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[17]

Drafted third overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves,[lower-alpha 7] Laettner played 13 years in the NBA, from 1992–2005, scoring 11,121 points and grabbing 5,806 rebounds.[6] His first six seasons were his best, averaging 16.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while starting almost all of them. He also was selected to the All-Rookie First Team in 1993 and the All-Star Game in 1997 while with the Atlanta Hawks. His time on the Hawks was his most successful NBA team experience, twice reaching the second round of the playoffs.[6]

Despite his achievements, Laettner's NBA career was characterized by relative transience.[4] He played for six different teams, was traded six times, and never spent more than three full seasons anywhere.[6] In 2004, he was suspended several games for using marijuana.[18]

Laettner maintains a close friendship with Duke teammate Brian Davis.[4] They have pursued several business ventures together, including real-estate development in Durham,[19] a Major League Soccer team,[20] and an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Memphis Grizzlies.[21] Some legal problems, primarily regarding unpaid debts, have also occurred.[22]

Since 2011 he has operated numerous youth basketball training camps.[23] He also played one season in a semi-pro league[24] and briefly served as an assistant coach in the NBA Development League.[25] For The Z Team, an Olympic Channel reality show that has former Olympic athletes help struggling sports teams, he worked with the Garinger High School boys basketball team for a week.[26]

Laettner lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and is an avid musky fisherman.[27][28][29]

He is divorced with three children.[30]

He has donated large sums to his alma maters.[lower-alpha 8]

• 1990 All-ACC Second Team
• 1990 ACC All-Tournament Second Team
• 1990–91 Consensus All-America (1990)
• Two-time NCAA Champion (1991, 1992)
• 1991 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
• 1991 NABC All-American Second Team
• 1991 AP All-American Second Team
• 1991 USBWA All-American Second Team
• 1991 All-ACC First Team (Media)
• 1991 ACC All-Tournament First Team
• 1991 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Teams (AP)
• 1991 UPI All-American Second Team
• 1991 UPI All-American Second Team
• 1992 AP All-American First Team
• 1992 Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA Player of the Year)
• 1992 USBWA All-American First Team
• 1992 UPI All-American First Team
• 1992 ACC Player of the Year (Media)
• 1992 ACC Tournament MVP
• 1992 ACC All-Tournament First Team
• 1992 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Teams (AP)
• 1992 AP Player of the Year
• 1992 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year
• 1992 Consensus All-America
• 1992 NABC Player of the Year
• 1992 Naismith Award
• 1992 Rupp Trophy
• 1992 Sporting News Player of the Year
• 1992 USBWA Player of the Year
• 1992 Wooden Award
• 1992 National College Basketball Player of the Year
• No. 32 jersey retired by Duke in 1992
• 1992 Olympic Gold Medal winner
• 1997 NBA All-Star
• National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame (class of 2008)[33]
• U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (class of 2009 as a member of the "Dream Team")
• College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2010)
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team")
• FIBA Hall of Fame (class of 2017 as a member of the "Dream Team")

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 145 games played
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career free throw scoring leaders

• Career statistics and player information from Basketball-Reference.com