San
Francisco - When was the last time that Christian Laettner was a hero?
It certainly wasn’t on Wednesday night when his team, the Washington Wizards,
outlasted the Golden State Warriors, 97-94, in a contest between two of
the NBA’s three worst teams. In 34 minutes Christian Laettner scored
8 pts., and grabbed seven rebounds in a decidedly uninspiring performance.
No,
sadly, it’s been almost a decade since the last time Christian Laettner
has been truly heroic. Back then, Laettner was a member of the Duke
Blue Devils, the best player on a team that included superstars Grant Hill
and Bobby Hurley.
I
can still remember his visage, now enshrined in the archives of basketball’s
most incredible plays, as he turned with ball in hand and sunk an almost
impossible jump-shot in the last seconds of overtime, in the regional finals
of the 1992 NCAA Tournament against the Jamal Mashburn-led Kentucky Wildcats.
Back
then, people still argued over whether Laettner, Alonzo Mourning, or Shaquille
O’Neal was the best young big man in the nation. I remember wondering
which of these three titans I would choose in the NBA draft if I ran the
Orlando Magic.
So
much has changed. At the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday night, Laettner
was little more than the butt of lewd crowd humor. One obnoxious
fan yelled, "You suck Laettner!" during one of the many moments of disengaged
silence that seemed to characterize a game which left fans wondering whether
both teams were actively trying to lose in order to gain better NBA Draft
positioning.
Laettner’s
demise leaves me feeling sad, especially as I watch his alma mater play
its way through the NCAA tournament. He seems to have joined a number
of great NCAA has beens who were wonderful to watch in college but have
faded into obscurity in the pros.
Some
of these players have given us our most wonderful sporting memories.
Watching Rumeal Robinson hit two free throws to win the NCAA Championship
for Michigan, or Khalid El Amin snake his way through defenders to bring
immortal glory to the University of Connecticut, form some of my most enjoyable
basketball recollections. Unfortunately, those moments are the sport’s
brightest flashes in the pan.
And
so, as the NCAA tournament once again brings us the magic of March Madness,
I am reminded of the many heroes, Laettner among them, whose luster has
faded in the pros, and whose days of glory were limited to a few warm days
in early spring.
