Michael Jordan and Christian Laettner both have well-deserved reputations for hitting clutch shots. While Jordan is often hailed as the greatest of all time, it was Laettner who made the winning shots when playing one-on-one. This heavyweight matchup was not on the 94-by-50 foot hardwood court but on the 9-by-5 foot table. Playing for the fabled “Dream Team” during the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Laettner was the lone collegiate cager amid a lineup of NBA legends including Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. This American team, considered the best team ever assembled, dominated the field and easily claimed the gold. In between games, the team would stay sharp by playing table tennis at their hotel. Laettner grew up playing competitively in his family, which gave him an edge (and maybe a few nets too). “Ping pong is a big part of my life,” said Laettner. “I grew up playing it against my brother and my father when I was young. They used to kick my behind for a long time, so I got very good at it.” Laettner dominated the Dream Team as easily as the Dream Team dominated the rest of the world’s basketball teams. One notoriously competitive player took it especially hard. Laettner reports that Michael Jordan, an NCAA champion at North Carolina, fresh off his second consecutive NBA championship and well on his way to Olympic gold, immediately plotted to get even with Laettner, who played at North Carolina’s arch-rival Duke. “He doesn’t like to lose to anybody and he especially doesn’t want to lose to a younger Dukie,” recalled Laettner. “One of the NBA security guys who traveled with us to protect those guys, he said that Jordan snuck a ping-pong table so he could practice to play me again,” he continued. “I still beat him the next time.” Laettner is often spotted competing in charity table tennis tournaments. At 6’11”, he’s hard to miss. After two NCAA titles and an Olympic gold medal, Laettner has secured his place in hardwood history. His clutch shot-making has earned him another distinction, though. No team ever beat Jordan when an NBA title or a gold medal was on the line, yet Laettner did in fact beat him at the Olympics.

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