20 Years Ago Today - Here's the pass to Laettner ...

[1 24 90]

As you probably know, today is the 20th anniversary of "The Shot". I am curious to hear about the experiences of everyone else while watching/attending this game. Please share your thoughts/experiences if you have a moment.

I was 23 years old and was watching the game with my 2 roommates at the time and a few guests. I don't remember too much but I do have a mental image of what our apartment looked like. I do also remember that I have never jumped higher in my life after the shot went through. After soaking it all in for awhile after the game, I remember everyone else watching Robocop and I just sat in the chair thinking about the game. Thanks Grant and Christian and everyone associated with "The Last Great Game".

[roywhite]

As you probably know, today is the 20th anniversary of "The Shot". I am curious to hear about the experiences of everyone else while watching/attending this game. Please share your thoughts/experiences if you have a moment.

I was 23 years old and was watching the game with my 2 roommates at the time and a few guests. I don't remember too much but I do have a mental image of what our apartment looked like. I do also remember that I have never jumped higher in my life after the shot went through. After soaking it all in for awhile after the game, I remember everyone else watching Robocop and I just sat in the chair thinking about the game. Thanks Grant and Christian and everyone associated with "The Last Great Game".

It's certainly the most memorable sporting event I've ever seen in person, and I travelled from North Carolina to attend the game at the Spectrum.

Obviously, it was a great game with many swings in momentum; one team would go on a run, and the other team would respond.

I remember the reactions of each fanbase during the game. Basically, the Kentucky fans were wildly enthusiastic. The Duke fans, myself included, cheered but had a certain worry that this game could be the end of our great two-year run.

The final shot---my recollection was that there was a slight pause before the crowd erupted...did we really just see that?
It was a great event, made even sweeter by falling on my birthday.

[moonpie23]

mine is somewhat odd...my ex and i were driving from columbia sc back to raleigh and we were scanning from station to station on the radio to keep up with the game. When one station would fade out, we'd frantically try to find the next. As we were nearing the end of the game, (about lumberton) the station was fading so much that the static was louder than the announcer. we could barely hear the voice coming through. I searched the entire am and fm dial and could not find another station, so i insisted we pull over on the side of I-95 as the game came to the closing 2 minutes.

We sat there in the car with the static burning our ears as the tension of the moment came through the speakers...i'm sure other motorists thought it odd that two people were going NUTS in a car on the side of the highway as he hit the shot....


wild...

[aro24]

I was actually in the Dean Dome during this game. I was in 8th grade at the time and was there watching my high school team win the NC 3A state championship. I remember being in the hallway watching the game on one of the small tvs in the concession areas...most of the building boo'd (of course) when "the shot" went in but I remember jumping up and down and screaming and running around the hallway. One of those moments I will always remember.

ARo24

[gus]

It's hard to believe that the player who threw the pass is still putting in productive minutes in the NBA.

[mr. synellinden]

YESSS!!! ... In the words of Verne Lundquist.

17,848 were there. I was one of them. Sitting about 100 feet away. The best sports moment of my life. Which produced the best piece of sportwriting I've ever read.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

I, too, was in 8th grade. I was at my girlfriend's house, stuck watching some dumb video("MRS. DOUBTFIRE" I think?) and totally forgot the game was on. When the movie finally ended and we turned the video off, the game immediately came on because CBS was the "default" channel for the VHS. I saw the Kentucky shot and then THE SHOT. I jumped up and down for what seemed like 30 minutes throwing my duke hat up in the air screaming "DUKE'S #1 BABY!"... It was PURE JOY! My girlfriend, though, thought I was an idiot and not suprisingly, we broke up soon after.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I was at my friends' apartment in D.C., as a senior in art school hanging out with other artists..they weren't sports nuts. Nobody was paying attention to the TV except for me, and all I could do was pace back and forth. That shot sunk and I went through more emotions than I thought the human brain could withstand. I jumped up and down, screamed, cried, opened the windows and yelled into the streets. I remember walking to work the next day, grinning from ear to ear every time I passed a sales box for the Washington Post. Even outside of NC, that shot was front page news.

[mr. synellinden]

YESSS!!! ... In the words of Verne Lundquist.

17,848 were there. I was one of them. Sitting about 100 feet away. The best sports moment of my life. Which produced the best piece of sportwriting I've ever read.

I remember the anxiety as the game went to OT - "this can't be happening. we are supposed to win the national championship this year" - before that, I did not feel there was a chance we could lose. Then Kentucky hit a 3 pointer to start OT, and I was terrified. Hurley missed a 3 but we got the rebound and Bobby took another one and hit it. Back and forth. Laettner double pump off the glass. Mashburn, and one. Laettner fouled. Hits the FT's. Less than 30 seconds. Kentucky TO. Duke up 1. Petrified.

On my feet. Woods. I can't believe that went in. How can we lose on that shot? Our season is ruined. I can't believe this.

Duke time out. Sitting dejectedly in my seat. Head in hands. Our season is ruined.

Back on my feet. The ball is in mid-air coming from left to right (same as the camera angle). Laettner catches. Dribbles. What the hell is he doing? "SHOOT IT!!" Then ..

Jubilation like I've never before felt. Screaming. Jumping up and down hugging my friend like little kids. Picture the teenage girls at Beatles concerts. Absolute, pure joy and exhiliration. Why sports are great. Few other things in life can produce such emotions, which are revisited every time I watch the highlight or just think about it.

[Steve68]

It's certainly the most memorable sporting event I've ever seen in person, and I travelled from North Carolina to attend the game at the Spectrum.

Obviously, it was a great game with many swings in momentum; one team would go on a run, and the other team would respond.

I remember the reactions of each fanbase during the game. Basically, the Kentucky fans were wildly enthusiastic. The Duke fans, myself included, cheered but had a certain worry that this game could be the end of our great two-year run.

The final shot---my recollection was that there was a slight pause before the crowd erupted...did we really just see that?
It was a great event, made even sweeter by falling on my birthday.

I was also there and your recollection is perfect - there was a definite pause before the crowd erupted. Sitting there, it felt like it took Laettner an eternity to shoot the ball, then it took several seconds for the Duke fans to realize the ball had gone in and we had actually won the game. I was surrounded by Kentucky fans and they were absolutely stunned. Moments like that don't come many times in a life time.

[jv001]

It's certainly the most memorable sporting event I've ever seen in person, and I travelled from North Carolina to attend the game at the Spectrum.

Obviously, it was a great game with many swings in momentum; one team would go on a run, and the other team would respond.

I remember the reactions of each fanbase during the game. Basically, the Kentucky fans were wildly enthusiastic. The Duke fans, myself included, cheered but had a certain worry that this game could be the end of our great two-year run.

The final shot---my recollection was that there was a slight pause before the crowd erupted...did we really just see that?
It was a great event, made even sweeter by falling on my birthday.

Happy Birthday roywhite. Hope you have many more. God bless.
GoDuke!

[FerryFor50]

I remember listening to it in the car when my father and I were driving back from Durham after being at one of his buddies.

We got home just in time for the end of the game and I stood inches from the TV watching and cheering.

Solidified my stance as a Duke fan (I was only 13-14 at the time).

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Was watching from Wayne Manor and all I recall are tiles being punched out in the commons room as people literally jumped to the ceilings.

[Indoor66]

Was watching from Wayne Manor and all I recall are tiles being punched out in the commons room as people literally jumped to the ceilings.

What did Alfred do?

[bdevil94]

I was a sophomore in college, living in an off campus apartment with 2 morons (actually, my good friends, but non-Duke fans so I'll call them morons for time's sake)... one was a die hard anti-Duke Pitino clone (from Long Island), the other from Cincy. The Cincy guy had 2 buddies in town, and all they could do was talk about how great Cincy was that year. They had a point, as Cincy made it to the final 4. Anyhow, I took heat all game, especially when Woods made his shot. I had 4 guys laughing, pointing at me and gloating about how Duke went down...

Funny how quickly 4 morons can be silenced.

For the record, it takes about 2.1 seconds!!!

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

It's certainly the most memorable sporting event I've ever seen in person, and I travelled from North Carolina to attend the game at the Spectrum.

Obviously, it was a great game with many swings in momentum; one team would go on a run, and the other team would respond.

I remember the reactions of each fanbase during the game. Basically, the Kentucky fans were wildly enthusiastic. The Duke fans, myself included, cheered but had a certain worry that this game could be the end of our great two-year run.

The final shot---my recollection was that there was a slight pause before the crowd erupted...did we really just see that?
It was a great event, made even sweeter by falling on my birthday.

Happy Birthday! What a great event to celebrate forever on the same day!

[devildeac]

Found this story on Faux Sports. Great read:

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebask...at-duke-022512

[mr. synellinden]

Found this story on Faux Sports. Great read:

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebask...at-duke-022512

Wow, I loved that story - especially the part when Laettner explains to Jalen Rose what happened in the 92 championship game.

[dukelifer]

Found this story on Faux Sports. Great read:

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebask...at-duke-022512

Very interesting. Did not know some of that-like dancing on stage at the Dean Dome and particularly Laettner's issues with Hurley in Hurley's first season. Clearly, Laettner was tough and intimidating. No question that helped shaped the team. I liked what he said about JJ and he also admitted it was a stomp

"Redick? He never did anything on or off the court to warrant that reaction from fans. He didn't deserve to be hated. Now, me? I'm a different story. I stomped on a guy's chest. I played a certain way. All J.J. Redick did was play good, sound basketball. Why would you ever hate him?"

The whole story makes me miss those glory days of college basketball- when it was just emerging into the national consciousness .

[weezie]

Happy Birthday roywhite. Hope you have many more. God bless.
GoDuke!

ABSOLUTELY!! Happy Birthday!

I was at Disneyworld and saw it all at the Grand Floridian hotel bar. Several people, myself included, started crying with actual joy.