They are the same team. Laettner was there for both games.
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I actually was not in any way trying to imply that you were taking things personal. I always appreciate level-headedness, as I do here.
Since this debate is taking an ad hominem turn, I'd like to point out that I have also competed in a very high-level environment many, many times in my life (and by high-level, I am talking about international competition, with multiple US national championships in my event -- its not very often that I get to brag about it :D). What I've found is that when you get to the highest level in any sport, at a certain point you will have sifted out all the people who lack a strong enough will to win, and you are left competing only against the elite. At that level, everybody has a supreme will to win, otherwise they would not have gotten that far in the first place. From that elite group, what determines the winner is often not will, but a combination of natural talent, strategy, split-second execution, and -- of course -- luck. And I can tell you with apodictic certainty that in the years where I won my event, as well as in the years where I lost my event, my "will to win" was no less strong than it was any other year.
Bringing it back to this year's Duke team, I can promise you that every one of our players is infused with the highest competitiveness, the greatest possible will to win. Otherwise they never would have earned a spot on the roster to begin with. Our guys leave everything they have on the court, every time they go out there. And that fact will continue to be true, no matter how lucky or unlucky they may be in the coming weeks.
Winners never make excuses for losing, especially before the game starts. That is something losers do. I never thought I would see the day that Duke fans would start cooking up excuses for losing before the devils even took the floor.
( see, i can type properly, but it takes me longer, LOL )
Talent helps a whole helluva lot. Will can only take you so far. Talent for a sport or anything begets enjoyment from doing that sport or thing and enjoyment begets more practice and work which begets more success and eventually achievement at the highest level.
The will to win is highly correlated with talent and of the two I think talent is far more important. Let's get real. The 91-92 teams had a ton of talent.
Maybe not the best thread for it, but closest one that came up in my search.. Thomas Hill states that he wasn't crying post-game...
http://deadspin.com/5897795/thomas-h...i-wasnt-crying
As a teenager who's first real duke memories was j.j and Shelden, this was a really good documentary showing just how good laettner Hurley hill and the rest of the 91-92 teams were
Just caught this again, shown on the NBA channel (216 on DirecTV). Nice part of an Independence Day Holiday viewing.
This was a 90-minute version, and even more enjoyable than the 60-minute show I saw the first time (on TRU TV?)
Check local listings; believe it will be shown again soon.