Quotes from Christian Laettner

Every Olympics, when I was growing up and playing basketball, my parents and I made it a point to sit down and watch the U.S.A. compete. To join that team later, and play and practice one-on-one with David Robinson, Larry Bird, Chris Mullens and all these guys I looked up to, was a dream come true.

When I went to work with Garinger, they were good kids and a very good team. But they had a nine-game losing streak, and you can see that they were getting down and depressed and not feeling rewards for their efforts. But when I came in there, I didn't need to teach them much about X's and O's.

I always played my best when I respected my opponent and was a little scared of them because they could beat me. Every game I played in college, that was the case.

I don't think it's a good M.O. to disrespect your opponents, and maybe that's why the teams that disrespected me and my team lost to us.

Any opposing gym we go into, I want them to hate me. At the end of the game, I want to be beating their team so bad that they should hate me.

I'm versatile in every part of my game - except being nice, which I am only at home.

If you're not a Duke fan, you're not going to like me.

There's gotta be a villain; there's gotta be a good guy.

Shaq is such a load. He's so big and strong, but it's possible to play well against him.

I don't need you to love me. I don't want you to hate me, but just don't judge a book by its cover.