Christian Laettner's shot, explained: The story of Duke's famous 1992 buzzer-beater against Kentucky

St. John's has its own rivalry with Duke, but Rick Pitino's personal rivalry with Duke is a bit different.

After St. John's secured a Sweet 16 date with Duke, Pitino said he's looking for some revenge over a 34-year-old loss that still stings.

"I’ve been on winning at the buzzer and losing at the buzzer. And tonight, you win some, you lose some. And I’m hoping we can get Duke at the buzzer next to make up for that Christian Laettner shot," Pitino said after Dylan Darling's game-winner set up a matchup between the Red Storm and the Blue Devils.

Laettner had a memorable four-year career at Duke, perhaps making more enemies than friends along the way, but no moment was more memorable than the shot that sank Pitino-coached Kentucky in 1992.

When was Christian Laettner's 'The Shot'?

Laettner's iconic shot came at the end of an Elite Eight game in 1992. Reigning national champion Duke was taken to overtime and trailed by one with 2.1 seconds remaining, but Grant Hill threw a long heave to Laettner, who dribbled once, turned around and put up the shot of a lifetime at the buzzer from just in front of the free-throw line.

The shot sent Duke back to the Final Four with a 104-103 overtime win, and the Blue Devils would win their second consecutive national championship two games later with a dominant victory over Michigan. 

SN 140 Greatest Moments: Laettner's shot vs. Kentucky

Who was Christian Laettner's shot against?

Laettner hit the shot against Kentucky, which was coached by Rick Pitino at the time.

While the stakes of the Elite Eight are self-explanatory, Kentucky arguably had more on the line than Duke. The Blue Devils had already won the national championship a year earlier. Kentucky, meanwhile, was coming off a two-year postseason ban to recruiting violations under former coach Eddie Sutton. Pitino had yet to win a national championship and had a legitimate path to get there with a team led by Jamal Mashburn. 

Christian Laettner shot video

Here's a look at the moment Laettner kept Duke's championship hopes alive:

Duke led by five at halftime, but the game was close wire-to-wire. After a Deron Feldhaus putback tied the game at 93 with 33.6 seconds in regulation, Duke had a chance to avoid overtime with a go-ahead shot of its own. Instead, star Bobby Hurley missed, and five extra minutes were on tap.

Duke and Kentucky exchanged leads in overtime, and it looked like the Wildcats might have had the last laugh when Sean Woods scored on Laettner to give Kentucky the lead with 2.1 seconds remaining. Facing long odds, Grant Hill inbounded the ball all the way from the other baseline, throwing it three-quarters of the way down the court to Laettner, who broke the hearts of every Kentucky player, coach and fan. 

Laettner grabbed the pass, dribbled once, turned around and put up a shot from just in front of the free-throw line, winning the game at the buzzer for Duke and sending the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia into a frenzy. 

Earlier in the game, Laettner earned a technical foul for stepping on Kentucky's Aminu Timberlake. Some believe he should have been ejected, but he was allowed to stay in the game and changed the history of both programs with his last-second shot. 

The full list: SN's 140 Greatest Moments Of All Time

Duke vs. Kentucky 1992 box score

Duke led 50-45 at halftime, but the margin was razor thin for much of the second half, right down to the final minute. After Hurley missed an opportunity to win the game on the final possession for Duke, Laettner picked him up in overtime with an all-time great shot.

Laettner, meanwhile, shot 10-of-10 for 31 points along with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win. 

Christian Laettner college career

Laettner is one of the most memorable players in Duke history, and the shot isn't the only reason.

A two-time national champion, Laettner was also a consensus All-American twice and the national player of the year in 1991-92. He spent a full four years at Duke, emerging as a high-level scorer as a sophomore in 1989-90 and averaging a career-high 21.5 points per game during his senior 1991-92 season.

During his time at Duke, Laettner also became widely disliked by opposing fan bases. His stomp of Timberlake in the Elite Eight game didn't help, but he was near the end of his college career by that point. Laettner's success, Duke's success and his appearance all contributed to the resentment against him, and it was enough for ESPN to revisit his career with a 2015 documentary titled, "I Hate Christian Laettner."

HISTORY OF UPSETS BY SEED:
16 vs. 1 | 15 vs. 2 | 14 vs. 3 | 13 vs. 4 | 12 vs. 5

Christian Laettner draft pick

Laettner was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 3 pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, after Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning.

Laettner was a quality NBA player for 13 seasons, earning one All-Star selection, but he never emerged as a star in the professional ranks. Laettner averaged a career-high in points in his rookie season and spent time with six different teams, never spending four full seasons with any organization. 

Still, Laettner retired with more than 11,000 points and 5,8000 rebounds. 

Christian Laettner Dream Team

Laettner was chosen for the U.S. Olympic basketball team, known as the "Dream Team," over O'Neal in 1992. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was an assistant coach for Team USA at the time, and Laettner's selection over eventual No. 1 overall pick O'Neal created some controversy.

Laettner played a limited role for Team USA, which breezed by the competition to win gold. Laettner averaged 4.8 points per game, finishing with fewer shot attempts than every player other than John Stockton, who missed four of eight games. 

O'Neal would go on to have the better NBA career by a wide margin, but with a team as loaded as the 1992 squad, neither player would be the difference between winning and losing.

Where is Christian Laettner now?

Laettner lives in Florida today and serves as director of coach and player development for Blue Chip Elite Basketball Academy in the state. 

Laettner has also hosted various youth basketball camps over the years, including traveling to the Green Bay and Buffalo areas to lead camps for both boys and girls.