Duke's NCAA tournament seeding won't be the only drama leaving Blue Devil fans on the edge of their seats this Selection Sunday.
ESPN announced Tuesday morning that a new 30 for 30 documentary entitled "I Hate Christian Laettner" will premiere Sunday, March 15 at 9 p.m.
The documentary will be directed by Rory Karpf, who also directed "The Book of Manning," a 30 for 30 film about NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning in which Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe was featured.
Here is the description of the Laettner documentary from ESPN's press release:
He made perhaps the most dramatic shot in the history of the NCAA basketball tournament. He’s the only player to start in four consecutive Final Fours, and was instrumental in Duke winning two national championships. He had looks, smarts and game. So why has Christian Laettner been disliked so intensely by so many for so long? Maybe it was the time he stomped on the chest of a downed player, or the battles he had with his teammates, or a perceived sense of entitlement. But sometimes, perception isn’t reality.
“I Hate Christian Laettner” will go beyond the polarizing persona to reveal the complete story behind this lightning rod of college basketball. Featuring extensive access to Laettner, previously unseen footage and perspectives from all sides, this film will be a “gloves-off” examination of the man who has been seen by many as the “Blue Devil Himself.”
Laettner, one of the all-time greats at Duke, averaged 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game during his four years playing for the Blue Devils. He led Duke to four consecutive Final Four appearances and back-to-back national championships in the 1991 and 1992 seasons, hitting one of the most famous shots in college basketball history in the Elite Eight against Kentucky in 1992.
Ultimately, it was Laettner's antics that came to define him as one of college basketball's most notorious figures. His cocky persona was revered by Blue Devil fans and hated by virtually everyone else.
It's safe to say that when "I Hate Christian Laettner" premiers this March, Duke-lovers and Duke-haters alike will be watching.
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