Christian Laettner Brings Olympic Skills to WNY Basketball Camp

Even though Buffalo and Western New York no longer have an NBA team, that doesn’t mean we don’t have a rich basketball history in the area. There are all sorts of notable players who come from the 716.

There’s no doubt that people in Western New York love basketball.

One of the perks of that basketball connection is that, every now and then, famous Buffalons come home to the 716. That’s exactly what’s happening this week at Nichols School in North Buffalo, as Buffalo-born basketball legend Christian Laettner is back in town to lead his signature basketball camp at his alma mater.

Who is Christian Laettner?

Christian Donald Laettner is considered the greatest college basketball player to ever play the game, a former U.S. Olympic gold medalist, NCAA champion, NBA All-Star, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Western New York.

Laettner grew up in Angola, New York, a suburb just south of the city of Buffalo, and played high school basketball just north of Delaware Park in Buffalo. While at Nichols, he set the school record for career points while leading the team to two state championships, a record he held for 36 years until Jakye Rainey broke it earlier this year.

After high school, Laettner continued his basketball career at Duke University in North Carolina. At Duke, Laettner won several awards and accolades as a player before leading the Blue Devils to back-to-back NCAA titles in 1991 and 1992.

Additionally, he was the only college player to be a member of the Dream Team, aka the United States men’s national basketball team, that won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics.

Laettner then spent 13 years as an NBA star, playing for Minnesota, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, Washington and Miami.

What brings Laettner back to Buffalo

Although Laettner still resides in Florida, he has never forgotten his love and dedication to Western New York and his alma mater, Nichols. That affection has not diminished in the least as he regularly supports causes in the Buffalo area and donates significant amounts to them.

One way he demonstrates this is by hosting his annual basketball camp at Nichols School, where boys and girls ages 10 to 18 learn from one of the best people to ever play the sport.

The Christian Laettner Basketball Academy is in operation all week, and it was great to see him on the court with several dozen kids ready to learn from the Buffalo-born NBA All-Star.