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Dancer Gallery Thirteen

March 17: vs. Los Angeles Lakers

MIAMI. Mar. 18 - The Final Four – what every college basketball player dreams about. When the stakes are high and all your sweat comes down to one game. If you lose, you’re gone. There are no second chances– it’s all about winning the banner to hang from the rafters.

At the NCAA East Regional game against Kentucky in 1992, Kentucky took a 103-102 lead over Duke when Sean Woods hit a running one-hander with 2.5 second left in overtime. Senior Christian Laettner knew he had one last chance to leave it all on the court.

“I didn’t want to lose. It was my senior year and I wanted to go back to the Final Four again and have another chance to win. I was really scared of losing and sometimes that fear propels you to have a really big game,” Laettner said.

And a big game it was.

With the Wildcats holding a one-point edge, Duke’s Grant Hill waited to inbound the ball. Laettner caught the full-court pass, turned around and nailed a fade-away jump shot to complete arguably the most memorable moment in tournament history.

Laettner’s game was as close to perfection a player could get. Out of the 20 shots he put up that evening, he ended up 10-for-10 from the field and 10-for-10 free-throw line, finishing with 31 points in the 104-103 Duke victory. Laettner’s last second, game winning shot helped the Blue Devils capture their second straight national championship.

But Christian Laettner knows that being a hero is not only about making an unbelievable shot but also about being a leader in the community. Winning a game makes you a hero for the day – but helping others makes a difference in everyday lives.

He joined his former teammate Brian Davis to form Blue Devil Ventures, LLC in Durham, North Carolina, which is a community development program which specializes in the revitalization of historic, urban properties.

“When Brian and I were in school, we knew we wanted to be businessmen, so we teamed up with some smart Duke graduates and formed a group that could renovate and restore warehouses and turn them into apartments for the community”, Laettner said. “Blue Devil rehabs a broken down block or two in the city. You improve the area and give people a place to live by creating a village for them, which provides a sense of security,” he said.

Laettner also realizes that upbringing has everything to do with success. In 2001, he generously donated $1 million to his high school, The Nichols School in Buffalo, New York, in an effort to improve the lives of students and his former teachers. He admits that even an NBA basketball player needs the guidance of good school teachers.

“I don’t think that I would be as successful as I am today if I didn’t go to that high school,” he said. But the teachers there are underpaid and I wanted to make sure to show that I appreciated everything that they did for me. I gave the money so that they could get a new gymnasium and someday I hope to give them more. I wanted to show that I appreciated all the good work that teachers do,” Laettner said.

Even with all his work in the community, Laettner has big goals for the HEAT. Once again, the moment might present itself where the stakes are high and losing that one game means you’re out.

“It’s my 13th year so I won’t have many more opportunities. I’m happy and lucky to be on a great team. Hopefully we will peak at the right time and have a chance to play for the title.”

Laettner is with a team that has a chance to make history. As a veteran, the time may come for him to leave it all on the court. You can bet that he will make the shot. But no matter what, Laettner will always be a hero to those who have benefited from his generosity.