Christian Laettner's net worth: How rich is the former NBA player now?

Christian Laettner's net worth: How rich is the former NBA player now?

Helix Odhiambo
updated at December 2, 2023 at 4:14 PM

Christian Laettner established himself among the best players in college basketball. His incredible skills and ability to read the game made him stand out in the NBA. Christian Laettner's net worth increased exponentially through his earnings and lucrative deals.

Christian Laettner's net worth
Christian Laettner (R) of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles against Joe Smith of the Golden State Warriors at San Jose Arena in San Jose, California, on 4 February 1997. Photo: Rocky Widner
Source: Getty Images

Many people remember Laettner for his game-winning shot against Kentucky in 1992. He enjoyed a lengthy NBA career and received a lot of hatred from opposing fans. Discover his background, career achievements, family, and net worth here.

Christian Laettner's profile summary

Full name

Christian Donald Laettner

Date of birth

17 August 1969

Age

54 (as of December 2023)

Place of birth

Angola, New York, United States

Nationality

American

Height

2.11 m (6' 11")

Weight

106 kg, 235lb

College

Duke University

Profession

Former basketball player, entrepreneur

Position

Power forward, centre

Parents

George and Bonnie Laettner

Siblings

Katie Culpepper, Christopher, Leanne

Ex-spouse

Lisa Thibault

Children

Tor, Sophie, Summer

Net worth

$10 million

Social media

X (Twitter)

What is Christian Laettner's age?

The former NBA power forward is 54 years old as of December 2023. He was born on 17 August 1969. Christian grew up in Angola, New York.

Christian Laettner's height and weight

Laettner is 2.11 m or 6 feet and 11 inches tall. He was among the tallest power forwards in the NBA. His weight is 106 kg (235lb).

Education background

Christian Laettne'’s height
Duke Hall of Famer Christian Laettner (L) and friend Jason Binn pose for a photo in 1991 in New York City. Photo: Jason Binn
Source: Getty Images

The Angola native pursued his high school education at Nichols School in Buffalo, New York. Chris used to work as a janitor to raise part of his tuition fee. He later enrolled at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Christian Laettner's family

The basketball legend was born to George and Bonnie Laettner. His father, George, worked at a newspaper press plant printer, while his mother, Bonnie, was a teacher. Christian has a brother, Christopher, and two sisters, Leanne and Katie.

Christian Laettner's net worth

Christian Laettner's age
Christian Laettner waves to the crowd ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic game on 4 January 2019, at Target Center in Minneapolis. Photo: David Sherman
Source: Getty Images

How much is Christian Laettner's worth in 2023? The retired athlete made millions during his career. According to multiple sources, including Forbes, Christian Laettner's net worth is estimated at $10 million.

Christian Laettner's career earnings

George's son earned over $61 million during his NBA career. He also made a decent amount from bonuses and endorsements.

Christian Laettner's basketball career

How many years did Christian Laettner play in the NBA?
Christian Laettner (L) of the Washington Wizards controls the ball against the New York Knicks at the MCI Center on 7 December 2002, in Washington, DC. Photo: G Fiume
Source: Getty Images

The former NBA star played basketball in high school and college before moving to the NBA. He also represented the US men's basketball team. Follow more about his stats and achievements below.

High school

Christian scored over 2,000 points for Nichols School's basketball team, breaking the school's record. He also helped the team win two state titles. He participated in two McDonald's All-American Games in New Mexico and Washington, DC. His high school accolades include:

  • All-Western New York Player of the Year (junior and senior years)
  • Gatorade Player of the Year in New York State
  • National High School Athletic Coaches Association All-American Team

College career

How much is Christian Laettner worth?
Duke's Christian Laettner in action against the UNLV of the University of Nevada during their NCAA finals in Indianapolis on 30 March 1991. Photo. Manny Millan
Source: Getty Images

The former centre starred in college basketball and helped Duke University reach four NCAA finals. They won two NCAA titles in 1991 and 1992. Chris averaged 16.6 points per game, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 148 games at Duke.

Laettner is also the all-time three-point shooting percentage leader at Duke with 48.5%. He holds several NCAA tournament records, including most games played with 23.

The shot

Laettner's game-winning shot in the last second of the 1992 final against Kentucky made him famous. Duke was trailing 103-102 with 2.1 seconds left before Chris, standing around the free-throw line, received an inbound ball from Grant Hill. He faked, turned, and drilled the shot, giving Duke a 104–103 victory.

Collage honours

The Angola native received worldwide respect, praise, and even hate from opponents. Duke retired his No. 32 jersey as an honour. His list of college accolades include:

  • ESPY Award for College Basketball Play of the Year (1993)
  • Outstanding College Basketball Performer of the Year (1993)
  • USBWA College Player of the Year (1992)
  • John Wooden Award
  • Naismith College Player of the Year
  • NABC National Player of the Year
  • Sporting News and AP National Player of the Year
  • ACC Men's Player of the Year
  • NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player
  • Duke's Swett Memorial Trophy (school's MVP in three of his four years)

NBA career

Christian Laettner's net worth Forbes
Christian Laettner played for 13 years in the NBA from 1992 to 2005, scoring 11,121 points and grabbing 5,806 rebounds. Photo: Doug Pensinger, Chris Hatfield, G Fiume (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

How many years did Christian Laettner play in the NBA? The former athlete played for six teams for 13 seasons in the NBA. He was drafted 3rd overall by Minnesota in the 1992 NBA draft, where he spent four years.

Christian made it to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1993 and played in the 1997 All-Star Game while at the Atlanta Hawks. Here is a breakdown of his NBA career stats.

Team

Games

Points Per Game

Rebounds Per Game

Assists Per Game

Miami Heat

49

5.3

2.7

0.8

Washington Wizards

206

8.0

5.8

2.6

Dallas Mavericks

53

7.5

4.0

1.3

Detroit Pistons

98

11.5

6.2

2.1

Atlanta Hawks

186

15.8

7.8

2.6

Minnesota Timberwolves

276

17.2

8.1

3.2

Total

868

12.8

6.7

2.6

US national team

The Duke University graduate was the only college player named to the original 'Dream Team' that won the gold medal in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. The team consisted of legendary players like Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and David Robinson.

When did Laettner retire?

The legendary power forward/centre retired from the NBA in 2005. He continued to practice with numerous non-league teams and served as an assistant coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA D-League.

Where is Laettner now?

When did Laettner retire?
Mad Ants Assistant Coach Christian Laettner speaks with his team during an NBA D-League game against Erie Bayhawks on 31 March 2012 at the Tullio Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania. Photo: Robert Frank
Source: Getty Images

Laettner was an assistant coach and operated numerous youth basketball training camps and clinics. He has an academy called Christian Laettner Basketball Academy.

Interesting facts about Christian Laettner

Christian's basketball career made him famous and increased his reputation. Besides his career, he also has a family and ventured into business. Discover other details about him.

Christian Laettner's wife

Christian Laettner's wife
Laettner poses for a photo with his wife, Lisa Thibault (L), and kids ahead of the 2009 US Olympic Hall of Fame induction ceremony on 12 August 2009, in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Tasos Katopodis
Source: Getty Images

The former NBA star married Lisa Thibault on 28 September 1996. Lisa studied at Westonka Senior High School and later received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She reportedly filed for divorce in 2015.

Does Laettner an Lisa have children?

The former couple have two daughters, Summer and Sophie, and a son Tor. After their divorce, Lisa lived with the children in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Christian Laettner's investments

Laettner and Brian Davis (former teammate and roommate at Duke) founded Blue Devil Ventures in 1995. The real estate company owed around $30 million in debt to various creditors who sued them. Laettner owed $14 million of his unpaid debts. Fortunately, they reached a repayment deal to avoid bankruptcy.

Social media

The former athlete is only available on X(Twitter), with 57k followers as of December 2023.

Final word

Christian Laettner's net worth plummeted following his financial woes. He had to pay his debts to avoid filing for bankruptcy. Besides his struggles, his legendary status in the court lives on.

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Authors
Helix Odhiambo photo
Helix Odhiambo
Helix Odhiambo is an award-winning Kenyan journalist and content creator with over 6 years of experience. In 2016, he won the Goal Blaze Correspondent Award for young writers.