In a week when Duke is likely to clinch a Final Four berth, legendary Blue Devil Christian Laettner finds himself praising Tar Heel rival Michael Jordan.
Laettner is arguably the most beloved or hated (depending on who you ask) Blue Devil in school history, and when Dan Patrick asked about his Dream Team teammate Jordan, he immediately recalled everything but his game-winning shot Or something else besides the above – a rim offensive arsenal.
“My first impression of Jordan and my lasting impression of Jordan is the effort he put in on the defensive end,” Laettner told The Dan Patrick Show. “People don’t talk about this enough.”
Lightner wasn’t wrong. Jordan’s defense was somewhat overlooked. This performance came despite him being named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times throughout his career and being named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1988.
I guess when you win 6 championships, 5 MVPs, average 30 points per game and become synonymous with the GOAT, defense tends to get overlooked.
Christian Laettner won two NCAA championships as a member of the Duke University Blue Devils. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
“People don’t pay enough attention to that,” Laettner continued, noting Jordan’s multiple NBA All-Defensive team selections.
A former national college player of the year, Laettner also played 13 NBA seasons and now coaches youth basketball and is eager to teach the often-overlooked elite aspects of Jordan’s game.
It would be nice to be as simple as that.
“I don’t have time on the field to teach kids enough defense,” Laettner commented Thursday. “… You have to work on the offense. If you don’t let them shoot 3s, they’re going to cry.”
Going from one youth coach (albeit with far less qualifications or success) to another, I feel like yes, Christian.
For context, Michael Jordan averaged 1.7 three-point attempts per game during his NBA career (per StatMuse). Steph Curry scored over 9…
Michael Jordan’s defense leaves final impression on Christian Laettner
Where are we anyway?
Oh yeah, back to Laettner’s habit of telling Patrick that the kids he teaches are very anti-Jordan. “If you don’t let them take the stupid euro step, you know, they’re going to complain about stuff like that,” Laettner lamented.
“Well, how about some defensive drills and defensive work?” Laettner suggested, only half-jokingly. “Michael Jordan was also the greatest defender.”
Laettner didn’t stop at Jordan when discussing the type of defense that seems to be lacking in today’s game.
“Look at the effort that Kobe Bryant put in on the defensive end. That’s the difference,” Laettner argued. “Little things in the game make a huge difference. Play hard on defense. Play defense the right way.”
A solid effort from Laettner’s alma mater against North Carolina State on Sunday (5:05 ET) could propel the Blue Devils to the school’s 18th Final Four, which would tie them with UCLA for the all-time Second place, second only to the University of North Carolina. However, in a loss to the underdog Wolfpack, Laettner might tap into his inner Jordan and be forced to play defensively.
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