Watch: Former NBA third overall pick drills one of the greatest NCAA March Madness shots of all time, on this day 30 years ago
March Madness is one of the most legendary sporting events of all-time. The NCAA Tournament has been the birthplace of some of the greatest moments that the sport of basketball has seen.
That includes former NBA veteran Christian Laettner, who gave basketball fans one of the greatest moments in March Madness history with the Duke Blue Devils.
Laettner, a star forward, was one of the all-time greatest players in NCAA history. It was on this day 30 years ago that Laettner produced one of the tournament's all-time greatest last-second shots.
Duke trailed in overtime by one point against the Kentucky Wildcats in the East region final. Forward Grant Hill inbounded the ball from the other side of the court with 2.1 seconds remaining. Hill threw a full-court pass to Laettner, who made a turnaround fadeaway at the buzzer in the 104-103 thriller.
Laettner's jumper sent the Blue Devils to the Final Four in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There, Duke won its second consecutive title by beating Michigan and the Fab Five 71-51 in the title game. Laettner played for the Dream Team in the Olympics that summer after being picked third in the NBA draft.
30 years ago, Christian Laettner hit The Shot for @DukeMBB 👏
Still one of the greatest shots in #MarchMadness history https://t.co/pZKf8iLhak
Christian Laettner goes down in March Madness history with "the shot"
College basketball fans have always referenced the remarkable basket as "the shot." It was an incredible moment in NCAA history.
Laettner was one of the best all-time collegiate players, and that night against Kentucky was no different. He finished with 31 points, five rebounds and two steals, but the last-second bucket was the most important of them all. Laettner went on to become the third overall selection in the 1992 NBA draft.
THE SHOT. 30 years ago today!
#DukeOnThisDay #MarchMadness https://t.co/DSbRWlScbL
While the NCAA Tournament has brought legendary moments to fans, they anxiously await the next big play that will be etched in the history of March Madness.
Duke Blue Devils fans will look back at the legendary moment with pride. Laettner and Duke were just seconds away from seeing their storybook season end.
This weekend, Duke fans will be watching to see what their team can do in the Final Four against their bitter rival, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Duke (32-6) and UNC (28-9) play in the second national semifinal on Saturday in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kansas (31-6) and Villanova (30-7) play in the other semifinal.