Laettner and I have a lot in common. We both played college basketball, we’re both from the south, and we both had a really bad haircut in our senior year of high school.
I Think Me and Laettner Would Probably Be 1-2 is a song by the band Duke vs. Kentucky 1992, which was released in 2016. The song has been described as having a catchy beat and lyrics that are relatable to many people.
Over the past 30 years, Duke has had some real college basketball villains. Haters began to come up when Mike Krzyzewski came over as head coach and the team began to enjoy real success. When the Blue Devils won back-to-back NCAA championships in 1991 and 1992, Christian Laettner was their worst adversary. JJ Redick, on the other hand, is unquestionably No. 2.
If Laettner started the hated Dukies era, Redick took over for the following decade.
One of the easiest Blue Devils to despise was JJ Redick.
Before a game, Duke University Blue Devils’ JJ Redick is presented to the crowd. | Getty Images/Streeter Lecka )
Duke players over the past three decades appear to enjoy being disliked. Laettner was well aware of his hatred, and he had no qualms about making it reciprocal in opposing venues. In the same manner, Redick behaved.
As soon as he set foot on campus in Durham, the 2006 Orlando Magic lottery selection appeared to attract the attention of opposition supporters. Redick, like Laettner, was a four-year starter who helped Duke to great success. Redick, like Laettner, appeared to relish the role of adversary.
As his time as a Blue Devil progressed, and he started to accumulate personal honors in addition to leading yet another winning Duke squad, Redick was met with boos and derogatory remarks wherever he went. However, he regarded himself as arrogant, and he was undoubtedly an initiator, following in the footsteps of Laettner in retaliating against supporters’ attitudes.
But Redick wasn’t the only Duke basketball player who enraged rival fans.
Laettner was the catalyst. Redick acknowledged that he and the two-time national champion were, in some order, the most despised Blue Devils of all time. It’s difficult to disagree with the 15-year NBA veteran’s comments on the Pardon My Take podcast:
“Christian Laettner, Grayson Grayson Grayson Grayson Grayson Grayson Grayson Grayson Grayson Grayson Grayson Gray (Allen).
I believe me and Laettner would be 1-2, in any order, depending on how you looked at it, and Grayson would be third.”
On the list of Duke’s most despised players is JJ Redick.
As Redick pointed out, the next person on the most-despised list is self-evident. Allen was selected No. 21 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. Allen, like Laettner and Redick, has grown throughout the course of his professional career. It didn’t start off that way, however.
Allen’s first infraction occurred during his sophomore season, when he brazenly tripped a Louisville player. Just a few weeks later, he did it again. Then there was the season after that. He was even tossed from an NBA Summer League game for tripping Trae Young (although less obviously).
Laettner was pursued by Steve Wojciechowski. Miles, Mason, and Marshall Plumlee, the three Plumlee brothers, are all on the list. Greg Paulus and Kyle Singler feel the same way. Shavlik Randolph was formerly the front-runner. The focus then shifted to Jon Scheyer. Then there’s Austin Rivers.
Fans of college basketball like hating the Duke Blue Devils.
Fans of college basketball will find a favorite player to hate as long as Duke continues to win.
Laettner and Wojo were the catalysts. It was the same with Redick. With almost every recruiting class, the list gets larger. Because of his dynamic style of play and the fact that he made it easy on himself, Zion Williamson was able to defy the trend. Others, on the other hand, did not.
Maybe it’s simply a case of jealousy. Perhaps it’s the disappointment of seeing the program win for the last 30 years. While fans no longer enjoy hating Duke stars as much as they once did, more fan unfavorites are undoubtedly on the way.
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Chelsea Kilgore is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She was born on October 16th, 1990 in Columbus, Ohio. Her most notable roles include the lead role in the series Deadbeat and as Laettner’s daughter in The Big Bang Theory. Reference: chelsea kilgore.
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