Former NCAA Superstars—Are They Having Hoop Dreams or Hoop Nightmares?
For most sports fans, the NCAA basketball tournament known as March Madness is all about bracketology. For the young players on the court, it's win or go home. Snakkle selected a slew of college b-ball heroes from the '80s, '90s, and '00s. (The latter is typically referred to as "the aughts." Yes, we're nerdy.) Some went on to NBA greatness, some not so much. All of them were certified sports superstars who helped their college teams snag a championship. Is your favorite on our list? If not, leave a comment and let us know! We can take it. (A tip of the cap to our friend Vin Getz of Sports List of the Day for his kind assistance.) By Brett SingerHere is Christian Laettner at the 2009 U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame induction ceremony. After leaving Duke, Laettner was selected third overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He went on to a respectable NBA career, playing for a number of teams before retiring in 2005. He returned to the court in 2011, playing for the ABA Jacksonville Giants; the ABA is sort of the NBA’s minor league. It’s possible that he needed cash—it was recently revealed that the former all-star handled a basketball much better than he handled his money. According to published reports, he owes over $26 million to various creditors. On a lighter note, Laettner’s bodacious buzzer-beater was featured in a UPS TV ad, one that nicely points out the role of Grant Hill’s pass that allowed Laettner to attempt his game-winning shot in the first place. Kentucky fans, including state senator Ernie Harris, were annoyed and wanted UPS to pull the ad. Guys. It was a long time ago. Let it go.