The Untold Story Behind Christian Laettner and Coach K’s Game-Changing Duke Dynasty
Looking back, it’s wild to think about how much Duke’s image has flipped over the years. Not too long ago, before ‘91, they were just that solid team everyone liked but figured would fall short when it counted most. Sure, they had their moments—Final Fours in the ’60s and ’70s—but they were stuck in this “almost there” lane. Then Coach K arrives, and suddenly the narrative shifts. From the mid-80s through the dawn of the ’90s, he kept pushing them closer, until bam—back-to-back titles that stunned the college basketball world. What’s even crazier? Before Christian Laettner lit the fire, Duke wasn’t the bad guy; heck, in the ’91 rematch with UNLV, the crowd wasn’t booing Duke—they hissed at UNLV, the real villain then. But Laettner’s infamous antics changed the script fast… turning Duke into the Darth Vader of hoops. Nowadays, under Jon Scheyer, the hate’s still around, but it’s a far cry from that intense venom. The tale of Duke’s rise—and the evolution of its reputation—is a fascinating rollercoaster. LEARN MORE
Coach K took the Devils to the Final Four in 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1990 before winning the back-to-back championships in 1991 and 1992.
As this video points out, before Christian Laettner became a lightning rod, Duke was not seen as a villainous team.
Before Mike Krzyzewski came to Durham, Duke made the Final Four in 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1978.
One of the most interesting things about Jon Scheyer taking over is how the perception of Duke has changed. Duke hating is still there, but not with the same intensity.
However you look at it, this team changed things for Duke, taking it from lovable underdogs to, for many people, the Darth Vader of college ball.
When Duke had a rematch with UNLV in 1991 after getting crushed in the 1990 finals, UNLV was the villain. They were actually hissed when they came in to the Hoosier Dome. Not just booed – hissed.
And when they lost to Duke, 3⁄4 of the crowd was ecstatic.
It’s hard to realize from this distance, and a lot of you who read this never experienced this, but before 1991, Duke was seen as a nice team that couldn’t get over the hump.
By the next fall, things had changed and Duke, largely due to Laettner, was seen as the villain, particularly after the Kentucky game where he put his foot on Aminu Timberlake’s chest, drawing a technical.
Post Comment