Journalism Next / St. Stephen's Episcopal School: Former NBA and Duke legend Christian Laettner visits Saint Stephen's
MANATEE -- Christian Laettner is a legendary basketball player.
His buzzer-beater jump shot with 2.1 seconds remaining gave Duke a 104-103 victory in the 1992 East Regional Final leaving the Kentucky Wildcats in shock and earning a spot in the Final Four. Laettner was the star of the greatest college basketball game ever played, according to Sports Illustrated.
That same year, he was part of the 1992 Olympic gold-medal winning "Dream Team" (U.S. Olympic basketball), and went on to play 13 years in the NBA. At the pro level, Laettner was an important player on six NBA teams.
"The Dream Team was awesome because I was the youngest kid on the team," he said. "It was a team of around 28 men who are the best players in the world. It was an unbelievable opportunity for me and I had a lot of fun in practice. Then, after practice, I'd play one on one with the guys.
"Representing your country and having the chance to win a gold medal was just a dream come true."
The eminent player recently spoke to Saint Stephen's Episocopal School faculty and students. He also led a basketball camp for the girl's and boy's basketball teams.
Chris Mustaine, who teaches physical education and coaches the varsity girl's basketball team, said Laettner was invited by his old high school friend, Coach LeeAnn Fronckowiak, the girls lacrosse coach at Saint Stephen's.
"Laettner spoke at the Game Changers banquet, a fundraiser for the athletics department, and since he was already coming to speak there in the evening,
he offered to run a clinic for the Saint Stephen's students and those interested outside of Saint Stephen's, and then a special practice for the Saint Stephen's varsity basketball boys team," Mustaine said.
Laettner said he started playing basketball in second grade.
"I fell in love with (basketball) because of my dad and older brother," said Laettner, 45. "My father was a coach from fifth to eighth grade at my Catholic grammar school when I was growing up. When your father is a coach, it's just a lot easier. I had a brother who was four years older than me, so I was always tagging along with them. They were always doing baseball and basketball, so I was always doing baseball and basketball."
Before Laettner rose to fame in college, he starred in high school basketball at Nichols School in Buffalo, N.Y., won state titles in 1985 and 1986 and reached the state semifinals in 1987, scoring more than 2,000 points overall.
Laettner was recruited to play in college by several Division I schools, but said he decided to attend Duke University for its academic and athletic programs.
In 1991 and 1992, he played in the NCAA national championship game for Duke, losing 103-73 to UNLV in the first game and defeating Kansas 72-65 the next season.
He started all four times he played in the Final Four. At the time, only 24 tournament games were allowed to be played in college and he played in all but one, making him the record-holder.
Of all his college successes, Laettner said the game-winning shot was "the greatest feeling in the world."
"I remember thinking: I don't wanna lose, I don't wanna lose," he said. "When you're 22, nothing is more important than basketball at the college you're playing at. So, when I made the shot I just couldn't believe that God had allowed me to hit another shot like that because I made one when I was a sophomore.
"For the Lord to allow me to hit another game-winning shot in order to propel my team to the NCAA Final was just the greatest feeling in the world. It was awesome," Lattner said.
This story was originally published April 6, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Journalism Next / St. Stephen's Episcopal School: Former NBA and Duke legend Christian Laettner visits Saint Stephen's ."