Everybody has heard of the Dream Team, the NBA’s brightest luminaries who were the first professional players to play in the Olympics, 11 of whom are Hall of Famers. The 12 th player, however, is someone far less recognizable. 1992 was the first year that professional NBA players were allowed to participate. In addition to the 11 NBA players, the US basketball committee decided to include one college player as an homage to the previous amateur system. College basketball’s best and brightest were considered for the last spot on the team, a list which included Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning. However, Christian Laettner was chosen over the two due to his Naismith College Player of the Year Award and his two national championships with the Duke Blue Devils. Laettner’s college career was one of the most decorated ever. He was also one of the most hated college players, due to his physical nature, sometimes perceived as a bullying style and his clutch performances in big games, whic...
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