"Shaq might not be willing to accept that role as I did" - Christian Laettner on why Shaq and Alonzo Mourning would not have been a good fit for the Dream Team

christian-laettner

Christian Laettner was the only college player in the US’ 1992 Olympics basketball team, famously known as the Dream Team. Despite his impressive college career at Duke University, some people were surprised when he got selected rather than other promising college big men.

The most commonly mentioned names for the Dream Team were LSU superstar Shaquille O’Neal and Georgetown big man Alonzo Mourning, but there was a specific reason why Laettner was a better fit than his peers.

“They allowed me to be Christian Laettner but at the same time, they wanted to know, to be, and to act like a rookie, and that’s what I did,” Laettner said on the Dan Patrick Show. “That’s why in the past I’ve said it would’ve been harder for Shaq or Alonzo Mourning to be on that team because maybe you gotta throw the ball to Shaq a little bit more, or Shaq might not be willing to accept that role as I did.”

Laettner accepted his role as a rookie on the Dream Team

Christian wanted to keep playing a role and stay within his boundaries when he joined the Dream Team. That was arguably the best basketball team of all time, with names like Michael Jordan, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird, and many others.

Laettner was the odd man out, considering he was still a superstar for Duke in college. However, he wasn’t the best prospect of his peers from the same draft class. All three of Shaq, Zo, and Christian went to the NBA in the 1992 Draft, when they were part of the first three picks, and the Duke big man was firmly third-best.

However, Laettner got the call-up for the national team, and he brings up a good point about how he could play a role. That would not happen with Shaq or Zo at the time, as they got used to playing the starring role, which would not fly in a squad as stacked as the Dream Team.

All three players had successful NBA careers

While O’Neal and Mourning were more successful as professionals, that should not diminish the former Blue Devil’s performance in the league. He was an All-Star for the Hawks in 1997, as he scored 18.1 points and grabbed 8.8 boards per game. Shaq’s omission from the Dream Team still stings for him, but it did push him to become a better player as time progressed.

“I was mad, but it gave me more motivation to be better. I was very upset. But then…let me tell you something about my father and uncle Jerome. They were real, said, ‘Hey man, he won two in college, what’d you do” Shaq said for the Icons Club.

Of course, Zo and Shaq had more iconic careers compared to their fellow 1992 draftee. However, Laettner has the last laugh with his participation as a member of the best basketball team ever.