The Shot: Revisiting Laettner’s Dagger-through-the Heart Jumper Against the Wildcats

With a little above 2 seconds left on the game clock, and Duke behind by a point to Kentucky, a young Grant Hill would throw a pinpoint pass from the other end of the court. It landed squarely in the hands of Christian Laettner, who would fake his defender right then left, turn around, and take a 17-foot jumper at the buzzer.

Image source: kentucky.com

The result is now infamously called “The Shot,” giving Duke a 104-103 win and bringing Duke back to the Final Four for the fifth straight season. The year was 1992. ESPN ranks it as 17th in the top sports moments in the past 25 years. And, in 2004, Sports Illustrated called it the greatest college basketball game of all time.
It was the perfect offensive game for NBA-bound Laettner, who scored 31 points on a 10-for- 10 shooting, displayed flawless showing on the free-throw line, and backed everything up with a solid, seven- rebound performance. He would earn the regional Most Outstanding Player award.
The Blue Devils would go on to claim its second consecutive national championship a couple of days after. And in 2017, on the occasion of the game’s 25th, silver year, it is only fitting that the basketball world remembers one of its golden, historic moments.

Image source: yahoo.com

Hey there, David Berkowitz here. I am currently a college student at Duke. I love watching basketball, especially when The Blue Devils are playing. For more on my hobbies and interests, drop by my blog.

Revisiting Jordan’s Last Game as a Chicago Bull

It was the shot that ended the Bulls’ NBA dynasty: with six seconds left, Chicago down by a point, Jordan shoots over Bryon Russell just above the free-throw line, his shooting hand hanging in the air a second longer on the follow-through as though offering the grandest of farewells.

Image source: nba.com

It goes in, the winning point in that last Chicago championship, Michael’s last game in a Bulls uniform. Let’s go back to the final few minutes of that 1998 Chicago-Utah finals game six, and see what Jordan did to make it an extra-memorable goodbye, one that would generate the highest rating for an NBA game in U.S. TV history.

2:55 left: Jordan stops a fastbreak pass
Michael misses a three-point attempt, but manages to intercept a fastbreak pass from Hornacek that could have increased the Jazz lead to four.

2:07 mark: Jordan hits two free throws
With five seconds left on the shot clock, Jordan drives and gets fouled, nailing both shots to cut the lead down to two.

One minute left: Jordan hits two more free throws to tie the game Fouled by Stockton on another drive, Jordan makes another set of free throws and ties the game.

43 seconds left: John Stockton makes a huge three Karl Malone passes to Stockton for a clutch three-pointer that got the Utah crowd roaring. Jazz up by three, 86-83.

37 seconds remaining: Jordan gets two points on a drive After a Bulls time out, Jordan drives hard to the basket and earns quick a two-pointer.

Image source: youtube.com

  
21 seconds left: Jordan steals the ball from Malone Jordan breaks up a Malone post play and steals the ball. Chicago down by one. Michael milks the clock a little, looking for the proper time to launch the shot that made history. “Jordan… open… Chicago with the lead!”

My name is David Berkowitz, and I am a big basketball fan, particularly of the Duke University Blue Devils. And yes, I love Michael Jordan. More info about me here..

The Three Greatest NCAA Teams Of All-Time

Image source: espn.com

Throughout the years, NCAA Men’s Division 1 basketball has had countless teams that have dominated tournaments. But among these powerhouses, there were a few that have achieved feats that were unprecedented and unheard of. These were the teams that were so elite, that even today, people still talk about them in reverence and awe. Here are the three greatest NCAA Men’s Division 1 basketball teams of all-time.

The 1996 Kentucky Wildcats

In 1996, the Kentucky Wildcats had what many college basketball experts regard as the deepest roster in NCAA history. There were five NBA first-round draft picks in Antoine Walker, Tony Delk, Ron Mercer, Walter McCarty, and Derek Anderson. There were also four more Wildcats from that team that made it to the NBA. That year, the team set a Wildcats record by winning 27 consecutive games.

The 1992 Duke Blue Devils

Image source: cheatsheet.com

Some basketball experts regard this Blue Devils team to be the greatest NCAA basketball team in history. They had Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, and a host of other all-time NCAA greats. Laettner even hit “The Shot”, which is widely considered to be the greatest moment in college basketball. Duke then went on to massacre Michigan State in the finals to cap off one of the greatest performances by an NCAA team in a single season.

The 1972 UCLA Bruins

There is very little doubt that the 1972 UCLA Bruins were the best basketball team to ever play in an NCAA tournament. They had a perfect 30-0 record, led by NBA legend Bill Walton. They beat everyone by an average margin of 32 points. They of course, won the title that year.

My name is David Berkowitz and I love the Blue Devils. For more on the stuff I love, follow me on Pinterest.

Some Notable Facts About The Chicago Cubs Franchise

Image source: applepr.com

The Chicago Cubs are the subject of a long and interesting space in baseball, which has served as a canvass where a lot of interesting things are painted and fondly remembered by many. Here are a few notable facts about this well-loved baseball franchise.

1. The Cubs are one of two Major League teams from Chicago, thanks to a very strong baseball talents base that the windy city seems to attract. The other team, the Chicago White Sox, are members of the American League (AL) Central division.

2. The Cubs won back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908, making them the first Major League team to play in three consecutive World Series competitions. They are also the first to win it twice.

3. The Cubs have not won the World Series in 107 years, and they have not won in the National League in 70 years. These are widely regarded as "droughts" in Major League Baseball as even non-Cub fans can’t wait to see the franchise rise to success once again.

4. The Cubs are known as "the North Siders", a reference to the location of Wrigley Field. On the other hand, the White Sox have their home ballpark located on the South Side.

Image source: ballparksofbaseball.com

5. The franchise’s official Mascot is a young bear cub named Clark. Before that, the unofficial mascot associated with the Cubs was a fan by the name of Ronnie “Woo-woo” Wickers, whose cheers were always punctuated with an exclamatory “Woo!”.

6. A popular term celebrated among die-hard fans, "White flag time at Wrigley!", was coined by former play-by-play broadcaster Chip Caray, which means the Cubs have decidedly won the ballgame.

Hi. I am David Berkowitz and I am the biggest fan of the Chicago Cubs. If you want to discover more about my team, follow my profile on Flickr.