For the Atlanta Hawks' Christian Laettner, playing the game is the easy part. Getting there, however, is another issue altogether. Just leaving the house this season has been a chore for Laettner, a first-time father whose attachment to 10-month-old daughter Sophia is harder to shake than Karl Malone. Laettner, whose Hawks came up short to the Hornets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, will be playing for gold at this summer's World Championship in Athens.
This, of course, is contrary to the ornery reputation Laettner admittedly has fostered over the years. This is the same guy who once stepped on a player's chest during a sparkling career at Duke, who has been notoriously chilly with the media, who lashed out at the Minnesota Timberwolves, igniting a 1996 trade to Atlanta. And there were other transgressions, real or imagined.
All that, and it turns out Christian Laettner is a cream puff. At least when it comes to his little girl.
"It's hard to go on the road when it's a week-long trip. Shoot, it's hard to leave home any time," Laettner said. "I miss her for even the shortest time away. My wife [Lisa] and I have only been married a few years, so it's still brand new to us. Like any other happily married man, you miss your wife and baby when you're away. It's tough."
In a year or so, Laettner expects that little Sophia will aid him in going to work. "When she starts talking and says stuff like, 'Daddy, play hard,' she'll be more motivational," he said. "But right now, she's just making me miss her."
But don't miss the point. While Laettner is attached to his home life, he has not distanced himself from his livelihood. The game remains a passion - "I don't enjoy the game any less," he said - even if his style is so fluid that sometimes it looks as if he's just out there. Then, a postgame glimpse at the box score shows he's again been most productive. Consistent. And, in the course of building impressive numbers, Laettner issues as much punishment as he receives, most times with a snarl.
"With the players, I think my reputation is not so bad. Hopefully, they think I play hard and that I'm a pretty good player," Laettner said. "With the fans, I'm not so sure. But you can't do anything about that. I'm not playing with them or playing against them. They are watching and observing and make their impressions. We all know that people have observed wrong before. So I don't worry about that so much. But I think my peers - coaches and players - know that I go at them real hard and try to win. Before I came here, I don't know if people thought I was a winner or not. Now, they know again that I'm a winner. You don't want people to think you're a loser."
He is far from that. Laettner, 28, is the only player to lead his team to four consecutive Final Fours. He was on two national champions at Duke and was the 1992 Naismith Award recipient as the country's top collegiate player.
As a pro, Laettner has not achieved as much team success . yet. He and the losing in Minnesota did not mix. Hence, the Feb. 22, 1996 trade [Laettner and Sean Rooks for Andrew Lang and Spud Webb]. Laettner entered the 1997-98 season, his sixth, with career averages of 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists a game. Last year was his first as an NBA All-Star. That he was voted in as a reserve by the Eastern Conference coaches is an indication of the level of respect he's gained around the league.
"To get voted in is sort of a popularity thing," Laettner said. "When the coaches select you, you hold on to it with a little more pride."
He has much to be proud of these days. His Hawks are contenders, something Laettner does not take lightly considering his bumpy first 3 1/2 years in the NBA with the Timberwolves, who were struggling to build a foundation. After making the All-Star team in 1997, Laettner was selected as a member of the U.S. men's team, which will compete in Athens at the FIBA World Championship of Basketball this August. As the only college member of the 1992 Dream Team, Laettner is experienced at being around such mind-blowing talent.
"It's going to be a fun time," he said. "I'll be with my wife and baby daughter the whole time, so that makes it more special. On that kind of team, you always try to be yourself. You try to fit in. But the easiest time and the most fun will be on the court. Besides that, I'm sure we'll be like adults. Everyone brings their wives and their families and mingle that way. So, it's something special."
Playing time was difficult to come by in '92, what with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, et al. But, for a player entering the league, just being around the game's best was an education for Laettner.
"The Olympics was one of the best experiences of my life," he said. "You know, just being around those guys as much as we were together was a learning experience. The best court I've ever been on was then, playing with those players."
Laettner's game is short on excitement and long on efficiency. From as deep as 18 feet, he's a reliable jump shooter. In the low post, he requires double-team attention. When he runs the floor, Laettner finishes strongly. Put him on the foul line, and it's as good as surrendering points.
So, it comes as no surprise that the Hawks are intent on re-signing the 6-11 forward who will be a free agent come July 1, even though he has struggled at times this season and is averaging a couple of points lower than his career average of 17.2 points. The Hawks' plans are in sync with Laettner's plans.
"I want to be here," he said. "I've only talked to management two times about it and both times I told them that I love it here and I definitely want to stay. They've told me that they want me here. So, I think it's going to work out. But it's just smart on my end to not extend my contract because you're not going to get fair market value. So that's all I'm doing. Pete [Babcock, General Manager of the Hawks] and Lenny [Wilkens] know I love it here. We've got a good thing going here. My family and loved ones are here and I don't want to move them."
Said Coach Lenny Wilkens: "We have a core group of players and Christian is one of them. We need him here to continue our growth. He's very important."
Wilkens' only problem with Laettner has been his selflessness. At times, Laettner looks to get teammates involved when Wilkens wants him to assert himself.
"Christian's a very smart player and very, very unselfish," Wilkens said. "Sometimes I have to urge him to shoot or to look for his shot. It's so natural for him to look for other guys because he plays a total team game. But, sometimes we need him to look for his own."
Laettner agrees, to a point. He believes unselfishness breeds camaraderie, which breeds team play, which produces wins. And while dynamics like prestige and wealth matter, winning supersedes it all.
"You play the game because you love it, it's fun," Laettner said. "It's your livelihood and allows you to take care of your family. But, ultimately, you play the game to win. The money is not so good to you and the game is not so much fun when you lose. I want it to be fun, so I play to win. Winning and my family are everything to me. I've got a great family. Now, I just want us to keep winning."
The stage was all set.
Ever since the All-Star break, Christian Laettner had been bragging to friends about how he wanted to play with Former Blue-Devil Teamate Grant Hill, and the feeling was mutual.
Hill, who would have balked at Laettners' arrogance on the court, gave his blessing for the Pistons to pursue Laettner after the lockout.. Many Pistons' fans had hoped the memories of Hill and Laettner dominating at the college level would transcend to the NBA. But those memories are about as likely as Christian going break-dancing tonight.
Earlier last month, Laettner ruptured his Achilles tendon while he was playing a pickup game at Duke and will in rehab for 9 months.
"(Laettner) definitely wanted to come here," Hill told the Detroit Free Press. "We were playing (a pickup game) and I had to go to the bathroom. I came back and he was on the floor. He said it felt like somebody shot him in the leg."
Hill was not the only one who was saddened by the loss of Laettner. According to one insider, there was a "funeral" feeling in the Palace after they heard about Laettner.
Now, the Pistons' find themselves in a familiar situation.
For the third straight year, the Pistons have lost out on another free agent and are running out of time to act. Grant Hill should be entering the prime of his career next season, and another failed offseason could prompt him to look to another team.
So what are the Pistons' to do?
They could save their money for next year and go into another off-season saying how "big players" they will be or they could go to plan b.
The rumor mill in Detroit has once again, landed on Derrick Coleman. The 6'10" Power Forward has always expressed an interest in playing for his hometown team, and now more than ever, both parties need each other.
The Pistons need another All-Star caliber player to help Hill carry the load of the team. They also need a power forward with a shooting touch and one that can give them an interior presence. Derrick Coleman fits that bill, and the Pistons are the only "contender" that can give him the best contract.
A Brian Williams/Derrick Coleman front line could be one of the best in the league. Add a shooter like Dell Curry into the mix, and you have a championship caliber team.
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