Christian Laettner Is Not That Christian Laettner Anymore

Over the past, well probably couple of years now, Christian Laettner has done some surprising things. Start with the ads he did in Kentucky with Rick Pitino. Then go on to the charity game at UK where he willingly played the villain and let Kentucky fans get their licks in. Go from there to his letting people stomp on his stomach (more like a lovetap, as we've heard before).

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Then proceed to the ESPN documentary, where we saw much more of Laettner's history and a much more personal view of the former Duke great than he's ever revealed before.

And it's all become kind of clear, at least to us, in recent days.

At one point late in his life and career, Elvis Presley said (roughly) "I'm so sick of being Elvis Presley."

In the same sense, it sounds like Christian Laettner is sick of being Christian Laettner - or maybe that he's tired of how he's perceived.

In a nutshell, he's grown up and while he can't change some of the things he said or did as a young man, he'd like people to understand that that was then and this is now. He's grown and matured and, we're sure, mellowed.

It sounds weird to say that, but the evidence is pretty clear.

We don't expect Kentucky fans to give up their favorite villain, but in general, when someone asks for a bit of forgiveness and understanding, the decent thing to do is to give it.