For Duke fans, Christian Laettner’s shot against Kentucky – now just called The Shot – is a permanent highlight in program history. When they play it every March during the NCAA tournament, well, we love it.
Obviously that’s not the case in Kentucky, where it remains a permanent wound. We constantly see Laettner’s name come up when Kentucky fans talk about basketball and of course it’s understandable: he snatched something from that remarkable team, and for those obsessed fans, that can never be replaced.
Put yourself in their place. That was an incredible team that overcame so much. No wonder they called them the Unforgettables and hung the numbers of otherwise forgettable players.
Since his retirement from basketball, Laettner, who was a remorseless and ferocious competitor, has sought to soften the blow for Big Blue Nation.
During a charity basketball exhibition game in Rupp Arena in 2011 between Heroes (UK players) and Villains (rivals from other teams), Laettner playfully cleaned up a spill on the court. He was both cheered and booed and it marked something of a turning point in his relationship with Kentucky fans.
He also did a commercial with former UK coach Rick Pitino where he showed up everywhere, leading Pitino at the end to mutter “I hate that guy.”
And now he’s done another ad for the Kentucky market, this time for UK Credit Union. He had fun with it, they had fun with it. It’s a smart ad because it plays on The Shot, but it’s also nice because there is a certain level of forgiveness here. Apparently it’s true – time heals all wounds.
By the way, interesting trivia: Laettner’s final three choices were Duke, UNC and Kentucky. Don’t forget to check our Question of the Day in The Feed for more on that.
