Christian Laettner forged a legacy to be proud of in basketball.
The New York native is widely considered one of the greatest ever NCAA players after starring for Duke’s Championship teams in 1991 and 1992 before he enjoyed a 13-year career in the NBA.
Laettner was well rewarded for his time in The Association, too.
His 13-year tenure began with the Minnesota Timberwolves, followed by stints with the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, and Miami Heat.
It left him with career earnings of around $61 million.
Laettner was a six-time All-Star and is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, FIBA Hall of Fame, and College Basketball Hall of Fame.
After retiring in 2005, Laettner pursued business with ventures into real estate, investment in Major League Soccer, as well as an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Memphis Grizzlies.
However, reality soon came crashing down for Laettner, who faced Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2016.
The former Duke star was fighting to avoid involuntary bankruptcy after five creditors filed a motion against him, claiming he owed $14.05 million.
It took almost two months for the issue to be resolved after those same creditors settled with Laettner.
Some of those five creditors included former Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart and ex-Detroit Lions linebacker Ernie Sims.
What’s worse about the situation is that it was not the first time Laettner ended up being sued by his fellow professional athletes.
Christian Laettner was sued by Scottie Pippen
In 2007, Laettner convinced Scottie Pippen to join an investment group to purchase the Grizzlies.
That group included Laettner himself and his former Duke teammate Brian Davis.
However, the sale never went through, and Pippen looked to get his money back.
Laettner couldn’t repay Pippen, and it led to his former 1992 Olympic Dream teammate filing a lawsuit in 2010.
Pippen’s lawsuit was successful, and he was awarded $2.5 million, which Laettner and his group had to pay.
In 2016, a PR disaster unfolded when Pippen’s wife, Larsa, lashed out at Laettner on social media for allegedly not repaying the full amount.
It’s not the first time Laettner has come into conflict with Pippen.
Laettner did not impress Pippen on the basketball court, and the Bulls icon made that clear when he didn’t want the Duke star in the 1992 Olympic Dream Team.
“I agreed with each pick except Laettner,” Pippen wrote in his 2021 autobiography
“I didn’t think he would fit in, and I was right. The committee should have chosen another NBA player, and plenty were worthy. My preference was Dominique Wilkins.”
Laettner was the only collegian selected for the Olympic team that year.