Coach K and Christian Laettner transformed Duke from underdog to dynasty | Four Decades In Durham
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- čas přidán 6. 07. 2024
- In this episode of Four Decades in Durham, Bobby Hurley, Jay Bilas, Shane Battier and Chris Spatola join host Dalen Cuff to tell the story of Duke's back-to-back NCAA championship teams of 1991 and 1992. Led by All-American Christian Laettner, and infused with the playmaking and size of Grant Hill, Coach K's Blue Devils grew up from double-digit underdogs to dynasty in one year's time.
0:00 Intro
1:06 The core
2:41 The style
4:04 Defining moment
7:36 Heroes and villains
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Laetner and his class went to 4 straight final 4s and that is incredible in its own right.
Shut up
That’s when I started watching college Basketball. Back in 91
The haters are the very reason, Laettner is my favorite Duke player.
I still love Laettner so much. Such a waste that he didnt find the right coach to exploit his talent in NBA. But with coach K those four college years were magical. March 28 1992 is a date written is basketball memory forever
That Kentucky game pretty much summed up Laettner as a college basketball player. You could call him an arrogant, dirty player as much as you like, but no one could deny he was one hack of a basketball player with skills, intelligent, an iron will to win, and one of the best clutch players of all time. That buzzer beater winning shot was Hollywood stuff!
Bobby Hurley was such a perfect point guard for that team. An excellent 3 point shooter that always looked to dish the ball first, but also able to score if Laettner or Hill had an off game. Let's not forget that Brian Davis would give you 10 - 15 a game.
Yeah
I wish there was some way to have the different eras of Duke teams play each other. Laettner, Hurley and Hill from the early 90s, Battier, Elton Brand, Corey Maggette and Trajan Langdon from the '99 squad. Then the early 2000s teams with an older Battier leading Jay Williams, Carlos Boozer, Chris Duhon and Mike Dunleavy Jr. Then you have the JJ Reddick, Shelden Williams, Luol Deng teams of the mid 2000s. The title team would be the '14-'15 team with Jahlil Okafor, Justice Winslow, Tyus Jones, a young Grayson Allen. People forget how good Okafor was in college. The other title team of 2010 with Scheyer, Singler and Plumlee is definitely a step down from the others but they were still great enough to win a title. Then it's the start of the one and dones in earnest in the 2010s. Early in the decade you had Kyrie Irving, Austin Rivers and Jabari Parker roll through; lots of talent. Later you had the The '18-'19 squad with Zion, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish which was pretty stacked. Imagine if some of these one and done guys like Tatum, Zion etc stayed around.
Which is the best? I think the early to mid 2010s could've been amazing had players stayed more than a year. Imagine a senior and junior laden team with Kyrie, Parker, Rivers with young guys like Okafor and Winslow. Then again, if Luol Deng stayed more than a year you could've had a senior Reddick and Shelden Williams with a experienced junior Deng. And of course if Elton Brand and Maggette had hung around they would've teamed up with Jay Williams, Boozer and Dunleavy. Imagine a starting five of Brand, Battier, Williams, Dunleavy, Maggette with Boozer and Duhon coming off the bench! That would been the best team. Sadly we never got those teams.
I loved watching him play along with his teammates that won the two national titles. I think you could even make a case that Christian was college basketballs best player but the team that made Coach K a winner was the class of 86 with Dawkins, Alarie and Bilas. Those guys along with their teammates turn the program into a force to be reckoned with.
Chris, my affinity and fandom for Duke began during the 1981-82 season when I was in fourth grade! The year before their heralded class that made Coach K, so I remember them well bringing in Dawkins, Alarie, Bilas, Henderson and then Amaker the following year! Still emphatically supporting them 40 seasons later at age 50
And can't wait for the Madness to begin next week! Loss to the Tar Holes behind us and as Paolo said, "we're better away from home for some reason"! I think they have a legit shot at the national championship
@@bradlewis6514 Yes those were the beginnings of Duke's greatness with Coach K. Duke had good teams in earlier years as well. In the 1960s their coach was Vic Bubas. He took them to the final four twice. In 1978 under Ks predecessor Bill Foster Duke played for the national title against Kentucky. Duke is not my favorite ACC team but I have enjoyed watching them over the years. They are my dad's favorite team.
I'm in my mid-60s and have been watching college basketball for a long time. Without doubt, Christian Laettner was the best 4-year college basketball player I've ever seen.
@@chrisoakley5830 your Dad has superb taste JS and now our Dukies have a championship to go win Saturday night! Hopefully will bring it home! VA Tech no pushover for sure after they walloped the Tar Holes, so we'll hafta earn a victory
Coach K was a good recruiter. He was pretty tough taskmaster in driving his players to continued excellence. Laettner was also a tough taskmaster with his teammates. And Coach K relentlessly harshed out the referees and pushed them to make calls in Duke's favor. Don't forget, under the prior coach, Bill Foster, Duke made it to the finals of the NCAA tournament in 1978 and went deep into the tournament in other years. So Coach K added that something extra to get make them champions.
Gonna miss you coach Hope you enjoy retirement you deserve it
Not an alum of Duke nor have been their fan. It probably is the era when the one-and-done didn't exist, but them sticking to Duke program for all four years, especially for Laettner who went to Final Four in all four years winning the last two with Hurley and Hill, made Duke (Coach K) dynasty happen. A dynasty could still happen but when star players leave after one year, we may not see a dynasty caliber of Duke soon. But congrats to Coach K for his illustrious career.
Duke was my team when they were trash in the mid 80s w Danny Ferry, so glad to ride this full wave! Been so lucky and Blessed
How do you figure they were trash? 3 Final Fours in 4 years. 20+ wins a year, competed for national titles. Ferry was an all time great who laid the foundation for future skilled big men. Do you even watch Duke ball? Get the facts straight sir
@@garywilliams5831 Ok not trash bro lol. Good not great lol
lol def a great team that could not get over the hump@@davidcampbell215
When I heard grant made 7 NBA all start games. I was like only?! But only if he didn't have that injury. Also used to tell people I was named after Christian.
Uh, no. If JOHNNY DAWKINS doesn’t go to Duke, coach K is fired by 1984.
Johnny Dawkins was the first high school All American that Dean Smith would almost always get. After Johnny got there, THEN the Danny Ferrys, the Christian Laettners, the Bobby Hurleys, and the Grant Hills came running to Duke.
Heck, even coach K said that there is no Duke basketball as we know it if Johnny Dawkins goes to North Carolina or Georgetown instead.
Coach K went to seven final fours in nine years, which is insane in itself. Johnny Dawkins took him to his first one.
So yeah, Johnny Dawkins started the dynasty.
Agreed, Johnny Dawkins was first coach K superstar…special. If Alarie and Henderson didn’t have such a subpar game against Louisville, they would’ve won 86 championship.
Now that's the truth. That Final 4 team was the last time I pulled for Duke. I was still young enough to have pride in a team from a school in North Carolina being in the National Title Game. Too bad they ended up having one of the most epic choke moments of all time against Louisville and Crum's Bums.
If not for Tom Butters, coach K would have been fired
Even Jay Bilas said it himself on College GameDay, that Johnny Dawkins is where it all begins.
yes, but Laett is the focus here and he helped put the program on the map.
I'm not a fan of Duke but that team in 91 and 92 was a great team. They beat the running rebels and the fab five
Duke basketball is the best private school sports program in the history of all private schools.
I love wearing my Laettner jersey out. It pisses so many people off!!! What a great team!!! Love that Duke team!! Blue Devils forever!!!!!!
Clown
@@WolverineDevotee hater
@@WolverineDevotee shut up you idiots cry about it😢👎
Hey, you ! I want you to get up and take a little step 🚶🏽. I know I may feel impossible, I need you to work hard, trust the process, and have faith 🙏🏽❤️🔥
GHill is still the quickest 6'8" and up player I've seen.
Grant Hill was the real MVP!
Ever hear of Mike Gminski, Jeff Spanarkel and Gene Banks?
Laettner is definitely top 3 college player ever if #1
I absolutely hated laettner and hurly as a kid. Now, as an adult, I watch old tournament games and marvel at how good they were. And, I don’t care what anybody says, grant hill was the greatest college basketball player I EVER saw
Christian Laettner should be in basketball HOF based on his college achievement
Agreed.
Iconic
He was a beast mad respect for 32
It really hurts me to have to Amit this, because I am a true blue Kentucky Wildcat fan. But if I was asked in my life who was the best Collegiate basketball
Player I remember watching it was Christian Latner
4:19 I was born in Seattle in 1973, where I grew up. Sonics and Blazers fan. Japanese-American. I did NOT know, that Greg Anthony could dunk!
Don't forget about Dukie V who chatted up Duke even when he wasn't calling a Duke game.
There seems to be a common misconception that Mike Krzyzewski invented Duke basketball. But the second winningest college coach during the 1960s was Duke's Vic Bubas, who took the Blue Devils to the Final Four three times (1963, 1964, and 1966), and Duke lost to Kentucky in the 1978 championship game, under coach Bill Foster. Duke won ACC titles in 1960, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1978 and 1980.
He looked like Steve carrel when he was younger, am I the only one? (Coach K)
Yes, i thought he looked like someone familiar.. Brick tamland
Enough said!!!!
They got A LOT of help in 91.
63% FG and 43% 3 pt as a team! Good Lord.
John Wooden is the Goat of college basketball. Period.
They have a lot of nerve to declare Coach K as the best coach ever...John Wooden without a doubt holds that title to himself. Ten national championships in 12 years, seven of them in a row!
You guys remember “the shot”
I'll never forget it! I was at my dad's house at 12 years old in Clementon, NJ about 25 minutes away from where it happened. One of the most memorable moments of my life!!!
Remember it! YES and most vividly! Was home visiting family for Easter break during spring semester of college! 20 years old then! I said verbatim to my stepfather in the living room of he and my Mom's house "we need a miracle"! Of course Laettner (clutch as he always was) delivered! '92 Duke not the favorite from my fandom (this year marks 41 full seasons for me as a Dukie - affinity started 1981-82) - but they r the best Duke team ever! My favorite though remains 2001!
I remember Laettner should have been ejected from the game for purposely stomping on a KY player laying on his back on the court. Laettner even admitted he did it and apologized for it years later. No way in the world a foul that flagrant shouldn't have ended in an ejection and with that there would have been no "shot" and likely no title that year either. I think that was the year that I truly transferred all of the hatred I had for North Carolina State to Duke.
I was on a fishing trip at pyramid Lake in Nevada - heard it on the radio
Is there a video of Coach K yelling "National Champions" at the bench like Jay Bilas says at 7:26?
Christian Laettner has a brother named Chris Laettner, and they sound so much alike that you can't tell who's talking if you closed your eyes. Did Chris play high school or college basketball? I just know he was probably under 6-6.
To summarize duke was morally rated as much as the end of coach k career. A 50/50
You can hate Duke but it's kinda hard to hate Coach K.
that white boy school beat the snot out of that black boy school lol.
Someone please explain to me how Curly looks older than Coach K?
Tobacco Road spanked Michigans smart a-s 5
I hope more millennial hoppers get to see this & witness this team and how they played! This is basketball 🏀! They All Stayed all 4 Years,and senior year completely changed their offense to become more fast paced and ran every team out the gym!
I was there in the "80s. Today, no one can imagine Duke being a dink team, a small program which couldn't win big games.
They were just like Gonzaga.
Woah
Bobby Hurley must’ve forgot about Florida’s back to back?
where my haters
Some of the 80s teams should’ve gotten episode
John wooden has 11 rings and coached the best college player ever
In an era when the rules favoured UCLA -- first to admit UCLA had a real dynasty but Coach K is really the best coach ever
@@dennisstark8238 so WHY didn’t they favor any other team if the rules affect ucla so much they only one team and ain’t been good since John wooden left and he has multiple rings when other teams where very capable to win. You can’t play college basketball forever only 4 years and Kareem has 3 rings
Wooden also used a booster to pay players and played in a different era where it was easier to dominate. Let us know when he wins titles in multiple decades.
Oh wait.
@@docholiday1463 “ain’t been good since wooden left” lmao mkay.
@@bugsyproductions3140 and that exactly what I mean he’s the best coach ever you proved my point
Shame how Hurleys' NBA career went...
11:11 cute a ref with an obstructed view comes over and makes an on the line call he couldn't possibly have seen. 5:55 its foreign for the 98-99 Duke team to be in close games, losing both due to this same issue unlv had here.
DUKE 🏀 🥂
Ah, Chris Spatola..Coach K's son in law..dude played at West Point...
“Kept falling short” sounds like Gonzaga, believe me they will breakout
Nah
@@RuffhouseNC coach k lost his first two appearances ;)
Danny Ferry was an underdog?
Just wondering if coach k could have done what he has without the best high school players or McDonald's all Americans? 🤔🤔
UNC thank you for that W on coach K last game
Just here for the tarheel comments
i think duke would have won it all in coach k's last year if the refs didnt put mark williams in foul trouble and out most of the game, the acc defensive player of the year and unc was able to get all the rebounds with him out, of course had duke won it all you would have many saying the refs helped duke win because it was coach k's last season.but looking back at all the final fours duke went too the refs treated them pretty bad in most of those final fours i believe, especially the 88 final four kansas game
My all time Duke team
1. Kyrie Irving
2. Grant Hill
3. Elton Brand
4. Zion Williamson
5. Jayson Tatum
6. Carlos Boozer
7. Jack Marin
8. Corey Maggette
9. Christian Laettner
10. Brandon Ingram
11. Shane Battier
12. Luol Deng
13. JJ Redick
14. Wendell Carter Jr.
15. RJ Barrett
My starting lineup
PG,Kyrie Irving
SG,Jayson Tatum
SF,Grant Hill
PF,Zion Williamson
C,Elton Brand
Laettner is the best player in Duke history. He has to be considered top 5 all time in college history
I’m choosing the best available players
now is that cause Kyrie is a NBA God or those 11 games he played At Duke blew ur socks off??
@@sadatxersism7305 I’m choosing the best available NBA players that played at duke
YEAH I'M PUTTIN THIS IN ALL CAPS, BECAUSE AND I'M ONLY 4:12 INTO THIS VIDEO, BUT WILL THEY GLOSS OVER THE FACT THAT KENTUCKY FIRST BEAT DUKE IN 92 TOURNEY(LETTING LAETTNER STOMP ON TIMBERLAKE) WITHOUT BEING TOSSED AND THEN GETTING TERRIBLY OUTPLAYED BY IU IN THE FINAL 4, I MEAN THE DUKIE'S OR WHATEVER THEY ARE HAD TO HAVE 4 IU PLAYERS FOUL OUT AND SHOOT AN NCAA EMBARRASSING 42 FREE THROWS(IU SHOT 16), FINAL FOUL COUNT WAS 33 TO 18 WITH ONLY 3 OF THOSE BEING GIVE AWAYS AT THE END, AND STILL WITH ALL THAT IU WAS HALF AN INCH SHORT FROM A GAME TYING 3 FROM JAMAL MEEKS(GREAT LOOK FROM THE CORNER) FROM TYING THAT GAME!!!INTERESTINGLY IU HAD 4 NBA PLAYERS IN THAT GAME(3 OF WHICH THE OFFICIALS TOOK OUT OF THE GAME WITH FOULS) NOT INCLUDING DAMON BAILEY WHO ALSO FOULED OUT, YET LAETTNER(WITH ALL HIS BULLYING/RUBBING/ROOTING) COMMITTED ONLY 3 FOULS AND HURLEY 2!!!!!WORST OFFICIATED GAME I HAVE WITNISSED IN MY 35 YEARS OR SO OF WATCHING TOURNAMENT GAMES(ESPECIALLY THE FINAL FOUR)/ALSO STILL THE MOST LOPSIDED 1 TEAM FREE THROW ADVANTAGE FINAL FOUR GAME TO THIS DAY!!!!!
What sort of cheese would you like with your whine?
bron never had grant hill's offensive moves tho
I hate Knight but the game against Indiana in the Final Four was the worst officiated college basketball game I’ve ever seen, particularly the second half. The Duke game, and the Illinois game, it’s easy to see that Ted Valentine hated Knight and allowed his emotions to get in the way of being professional.
LOL
Coach K lost his senior night to Carolina though.
IU 4 AND 0 AGAINST THE FAB 5
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If you trust in Jesus Christ and repent, you will be saved.🙏
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I'm
And yet Duke never produced a superstar, just a bunch of journeymen pros. Grant Hill might have become one but he was hurt most of his career.
F Laettner
Coach kryzshity
The bawdy ground finally explain because raven nouzilly rock for a sturdy top. square, tidy lilac
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The clumsy exchange coincidently identify because justice realistically afford a a spotty appliance. , old-fashioned acknowledgment
Laettner gets far too little credit for K's success.
vegas got bought off ... stop it!
I still hate Laettner
Me too. 30 years later it's still the same as it was back then lol
I've never figured out what was so great about "the shot".. a simple jumper from top of the key? Big deal. A lot of players have hit last-second shots to win a game but people this this one is so incredible.
@@geod3589 It was the culmination of a virtually flawless offensive performance from Laettner. He went 10/10 in FGs and 10/10 from the FT line.
His shot was a contested fadeaway. And the pass from Hill had to be absolutely right on the money. Lots of times you see a pass from such a distance intercepted.
If he missed that shot his career would've been over....Duke doesn't go on to win the title and he quite possibly doesn't become the only NCAA player to make the historic "Dream Team" in Barcelona.
And I say this as someone thar hated Duke with a passion then and now lol.
Dean Smith is the greatest coach ever, and Coach K and Dook was always well hated.
..
Dean Smith came to UNC under Frank McGuire while the stench of probation was in the air for recruiting after their 1957 championship. He was the liaison between the NCAA and UNC. He learned how to get around the NCAA rules with every available technicality. He signed the first shoe contract with Converse and if you don't remember the light blue high tops you are to young to know any of this. UNC's own President Friday denounced the the transformation from college student athletes to spoiled, special treatment, professional athletes disguised as students. The Four Corners offense was brilliant but his stall tactics completely changed college basketball. Do you realize UNC played at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the 70's and scored 0 points in the first half? Look it up. At its peak college basketball was about the best players that played together as a team with intelligence. Now its primarily about athletes that hopefully can play together. You can go the local YMCA in any big city and see the same style without a Coach. The 30 second shot clock has now so devalued the defensive strategy that only the style defense that plays almost football is known as a defensive team. Dean's summertime class schedule of lame courses kept his players eligible so that really getting an education was devalued. They got away with it for so long that it took until Roy Williams was there and the African Studies Major were exposed that the entire school was put on Academic Accreditation Probation. The only way they avoided the death penalty was that so many students took the classes after hearing about it that UNC used the defense that it was for everybody and not just student athletes. The win at all cost culture created the largest cheating scandal of all time that came within a hair of critically damaging the entire school. Dean Smith was a good coach who was the Master of exploiting the system and in my mind turned true college basketball into the NBA Minor Leagues. He doesn't deserve to be even mentioned in the breath with Coach K. Every team that wanted to win in the late 60's and 70's had to lower their moral standards to keep up with Dean. Coach K has never done anything but raise the bar. Jealousy is always going to be a part of sports but comments like yours are just based in bias and not facts. You are right about one thing. Most people do hate Duke because they lose to Duke and can't admit that they just got beat by a better team. You can thank Dean for that.
@@bradchurch7703 that was stupid on numerous levels. You know Coach k has recruited more MCDs AA than any other program? You know K paid numerous players including Duhon and Zion? You know numerous players transfered out each year, and numerous ones who stayed hate him? You know K modeled his program after Dean Smith according to K? You know with all that prep talent, he doesn't have 1 top 75 NBA player?
In terms of Coach Smith, you are correct that the prior coach hired Coach Smith and that he was later hired as the Head Coach to clean up the program. What you failed to mention is that UNC officials wanted to fire him until 2 years later. There after he dominated and established the model program where 98% graduated and all returned to see him.
Players rarely transferred from UNC.They called him a father figure. He successfully integrated the Acc with African Americans starting with Charlie Scott. He had numerous nba all stars, hofs, and 4 top 75 players which shows that he developed his players.
We all know that MJ loved UNC so much that he wore Tarheel shorts each game under his nba uniform. Every summer, all his active players returned to play ball with his current group.
On the court, Smith was responsible for so many innovations used commonly today, they are too numerous to count. The assist finger point, the huddle at the freethrow line, four corners, inverted offenses, run and jump defense, force baseline defense, secondary fastbreak, changing defenses based upon makes or misses or after timeouts, basketball analytics, plus minus, mental health utilization, etc. as examples were all from Coach Smith.
Only thing K brought was the 4 man as a perimeter player which created spacing.
Academically, nothing you stated is supported with facts in relation to Coach Smith.
In the end, K really is the devil. Coach Smith was a better coach and far better man than that devil.
@@maa7332 Yo have some respect to the man. I was raised in NC and even though I was a Duke fan from the start, I always had mad respect for Dean Smith and Roy Williams too. Those guys with Coach K gave us so much entertainment without them, basketball will probably not be as popular in NC since we don't have a good NBA team. Yeah I know we have Hornets(or Bobcats) but they were never more popular that Duke / UNC. I can agree with parts of your comments but you are too biased and critical on Coach K. Let go of your rivally and hate for a while, I payed my respect when Dean Smith passed away and when Roy retired. They all contributed heavily to the game and the state of NC and Coach K deserves more than this comment on his last games.
@@evanlee8205 K was a terrible person.
ESPN has lost their f n mind. C laetner is nothing but a coward who stomps on players and doesn't get kicked out of the game. Nothing great about K or Dukey. Given every call that matters. Bunch of wanna bees
That's exactly why is is one of most hated player, ever.