I Hate Christian Laettner

[DenverSooner]

I met him several years ago, at a Duke NCAA tournament game in 2010 (the year they won the national title).

It was at a banquet that night following the game, in the convention center by the arena. Everyone was talking to everyone, so I figured I'd go up and try to chat with him.

He was incredibly rude to me, declined to take a picture with my little cousin (who was only 9), and simply walked away in the middle of the conversation.

Hated him ever since, everything that I had heard about him was confirmed that night.

What a prock. If he did that to a 9 year old in my presence I might make a scene by calling him out. If you are blessed with the athletic ability to be a great athlete you are burdened with the obligation to be kind to random fans, especially young ones at sports oriented events. Bear your burdens in life.

He did a video apology to the Kentucky player and did not come across well to me. It just didn't seem sincere and seemed more focused on him and how it reflected on him than the guy he stepped on.

 

[DenverSooner]

I thought it was one of the better ones they've done. I know everyone eanted to hate him but I'd have killed to have a player like that. He was the best player on the best team. Even to this day you can just feel the contempt and jealousy from the Fab Five guys. That alone makes it worth it. I also didn't know about his background. Any of them for that matter. Apparently Hill was the only one from money.

He wasn't better than Weber, Rose, the Michigan center or Grant Hill. I can't remember who else played for Duke.

 

[DenverSooner]

yeah, great player but you could tell he was still kind of a dweeb.

That said - maybe he's like that after the way he was treated by opposing fans and some media people. I don't know. He has a nice family life from the looks of it and a successful basketball camp. He MUST have some positive qualities. As all things in life it's probably a little of both and maybe he's just very hard to get to know = he acts aloof and like a jerk at times.

How the media treated him? I didn't see the show but the media got him on the dream team. He had no business being on that team.

 

[BoulderSooner]

He wasn't better than Weber, Rose, the Michigan center or Grant Hill. I can't remember who else played for Duke.

as a college player he was better than all of them now webber was a better soph than laettner ...but laettner was far better as a senior ..

 

[WTSooner]

He wasn't better than Weber, Rose, the Michigan center or Grant Hill. I can't remember who else played for Duke.

You're crazy. He was better than all of those.

 

[DenverSooner]

You're crazy. He was better than all of those.

I am not crazy. Everyone single one of those guys proved for a fact they were better basketball players. He was more experienced than all of those guys when the two teams played.

Juan Howard was the guy I couldn't remember.

 

[okienole3]

Juan Howard...heh.

 

[DenverSooner]

as a college player he was better than all of them now webber was a better soph than laettner ...but laettner was far better as a senior ..

I looked up his NBA stats, they were actually much better than I recalled but I still think all of those guys were better basketball players than Laettner and all of them had superior NBA careers. I agree that as a Senior Laettner was better than those guys as freshman (Hill was not a freshman when they played).

 

[MercedeSooner]

i doubt people are talking about their NBA careers and moreso their impact on the college game. But it also brings up a good point that Laettner was a much better pro then people give him credit for - just goes to show the amount of hate and hype people had towards him as the initial notion is that he was a bust when it really wasn't the case. 12 Years in the NBA is a long time for any player.

As a college player Laettner was a better player then all of the guys you mentioned. Granted it was a different time and he stayed 4 years at Duke but his play was at a different level in those last 2 years.

 

[WTSooner]

As a college player Laettner was a better player then all of the guys you mentioned. Granted it was a different time and he stayed 4 years at Duke but his play was at a different level in those last 2 years.

This. NBA doesn't factor in at all for me. This is a college discussion, and Laettner is a top 5 college player of all time. In part b/c he stayed four years.

 

[sperry]

Great player, seems like a huge doosh. Not an uncommon pairing.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I thought it was one of the better ones they've done. I know everyone eanted to hate him but I'd have killed to have a player like that. He was the best player on the best team. Even to this day you can just feel the contempt and jealousy from the Fab Five guys. That alone makes it worth it. I also didn't know about his background. Any of them for that matter. Apparently Hill was the only one from money.

Both Hill's had money actually. The father of the Hill player, not with the first name of Grant, was on staff at OU. He had a position in the athletic department.
I believe that was Thomas Hill and the OU athletes called his dad "uncle Tom". He was the main reason McCovery, Patterson, Jones, et al, were all ruled ineligible.

 

[campbest]

Both Hill's had money actually. The father of the Hill player, not with the first name of Grant, was on staff at OU. He had a position in the athletic department.
I believe that was Thomas Hill and the OU athletes called his dad "uncle Tom". He was the main reason McCovery, Patterson, Jones, et al, were all ruled ineligible.

Athletic admin pays well?

 

[campbest]

I met him several years ago, at a Duke NCAA tournament game in 2010 (the year they won the national title).

It was at a banquet that night following the game, in the convention center by the arena. Everyone was talking to everyone, so I figured I'd go up and try to chat with him.

He was incredibly rude to me, declined to take a picture with my little cousin (who was only 9), and simply walked away in the middle of the conversation.

Hated him ever since, everything that I had heard about him was confirmed that night.

A Kentucky fan hating Laettner...shocking!!!

 

[Big Old Booger]

Athletic admin pays well?

6 digits for his position, I would guess. He wasn't some support staff...

He was an Asst AD, which can pay very well. He wasn't hourly so the Hill's weren't poor. Maybe they weren't wealthy, but they weren't destitute either.

 

[campbest]

6 digits for his position, I would guess. He wasn't some support staff...

He was an Asst AD, which can pay very well. He wasn't hourly so the Hill's weren't poor. Maybe they weren't wealthy, but they weren't destitute either.

Fair enough...some of those positions today are probably six figures, but in the 90's I can' imagine they were nearly as high. Athletic Admin budget have exploded since that time.

 

[chuckb]

6 digits for his position, I would guess. He wasn't some support staff...

He was an Asst AD, which can pay very well. He wasn't hourly so the Hill's weren't poor. Maybe they weren't wealthy, but they weren't destitute either.

He was also a former NFL player and I think Grant's mother was a lawyer, though I could be mistaking her with someone else.

 

[DenverSooner]

i doubt people are talking about their NBA careers and moreso their impact on the college game. But it also brings up a good point that Laettner was a much better pro then people give him credit for - just goes to show the amount of hate and hype people had towards him as the initial notion is that he was a bust when it really wasn't the case. 12 Years in the NBA is a long time for any player.

As a college player Laettner was a better player then all of the guys you mentioned. Granted it was a different time and he stayed 4 years at Duke but his play was at a different level in those last 2 years.

Not many freshman are more productive than seniors. It is funny when OU fans say this about latest er but then point to OU players not doing well in the NBA to argue other college players are better. Seems to me they want it both ways.

 

[MercedeSooner]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[Big Old Booger]

He was also a former NFL player and I think Grant's mother was a lawyer, though I could be mistaking her with someone else.

Different Hill. That was Grant Hill, whose father was Calvin Hill who played for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Hill I'm talking about was Thomas Hill, whose dad was Dr. Tom Hill who is a former Olympian and was an Asst AD at OU before becoming Dean of students at the University of Florida.

I have no idea if either Thomas Hill or Grant Hill's mother was a lawyer though...could have been either of them.