Everybody has heard of the Dream Team, the NBA’s brightest luminaries who were the first professional players to play in the Olympics, 11 of whom are Hall of Famers. The 12th player, however, is someone far less recognizable.

1992 was the first year that professional NBA players were allowed to participate in the Olympics. In addition to the 11 NBA players, the U.S. basketball committee decided to include one college player as an homage to the previous amateur system. College basketball’s best and brightest were considered for the last spot on the team, a list which included future NBA Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning. However, Christian Laettner was chosen over the two due to his Naismith College Player of the Year Award and his two national championships with the Duke Blue Devils. Laettner’s college career was one of the most decorated ever. He was also one of the most hated college players due to his physical nature – sometimes perceived as a bullying style – and his clutch performances in big games which broke fans’ hearts and crushed players’ dreams.

After graduating, Laettner was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves as the third pick in the 1992 draft, which boasted two Hall of Famers who were picked directly before him, O’Neal and Mourning. There were high expectations for Laettner after his decorated college career and the status of being the 3rd pick. However, he failed to live up to the hype.

Laettner was by no means a bust. He played for 13 years in the NBA and even made an All-Star appearance with the Atlanta Hawks. He had five seasons with over 15 points per game and five with over seven rebounds per game. In fact, Laettner’s rookie season in Minnesota and his All-Star season were remarkably similar, averaging 18 points and seven rebounds per game and playing over 80 games in both seasons.

After a successful, if uneventful, career spanning six teams, Laettner retired in 2005, last playing for the Miami Heat.

Christian Laettner’s career was neither so good that he became a Hall of Famer, nor so bad that he became known as a bust. His story was that of a player who was burdened with unreasonable hype who failed to live up to expectations. But, he was still a valuable player who eventually became a footnote in NBA history.