ESPN Men's Basketball

Knowing how rowdy Kentucky fans can be, and knowing how much those rowdy fans hate Christian Laettner, you would have thought last night's Big Blue All-Stars Vs. Villains match-up would have unleashed 40 minutes of unbridled hate. Sure, the game was for charity -- the V Foundation for Cancer Research, to be exact -- and sure, it was yet another exhibition on Kentucky fans' rather overstuffed hoops calendars, but the idea was brilliant and the cause was noble. All Kentucky fans had to do was show up and boo.

Plenty of them did -- just not as many as most expected. There were more than a few empty seats for the event last night, which you can see if you click here and watch the Twitter videos Matt Norlander curated earlier this morning. Laettner received his fair share of boos, and he played the heel roll to full effect, staging a pair of technical fouls and an ejection in the process. If it sounds similar to professional wrestling, that's probably because it was.

The game featured a bevy of current pros from Kentucky and former "rivals" (like Indiana's Eric Gordon and Lousville's Terrance Williams). The Villains took the title. The Lexington Herald-Leader's always-excellent John Clay was on hand for the event, which sounds like it was a lot of fun for a good cause -- even if the crowd was a "disappointment." But John can explain:

Because of the beneficiaries, the attendance was the night's real disappointment. Three hours before tip-off, only 7,000 tickets had been sold. But the truth is we're pretty much exhibitioned out. There were the two Dominican Republic National Team exhibitions. There was the Big Blue Stars tour that circled the state with many of the same Kentucky alums who stepped on the floor versus the Villains.

Plus, we're about ready to see the current Cats. There's the Blue-White scrimmage on Wednesday night in Rupp. No offense to the old guys, but it's the youngsters — Davis, Teague, Kidd-Gilchrist, Wiltjer — the fans are anxious to see.

That makes sense. There have been no shortage of exhibitions at Rupp Arena this offseason, that's for sure. Although as someone who loves both college basketball and the NBA, let me just say this: If a bunch of NBA players show up for a pickup run at the United Center, no matter how sloppy that game is, I'm going. This new Jordan Brand commercial can't be that far off.

A tremendous promotional idea becomes reality tonight, when Christian Laettner -- former Duke legend and object of sincere hatred for Kentucky fans the world over -- hosts the Big Blue All-Stars vs. Villains game at Rupp Arena. The exhibition's proceeds benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research, so there's a good reason Laettner agreed to make a video like the following and expose himself to what George Orwell might term the 40 Minutes Hate.



Laettner isn't playing, merely coaching, but he does have a solid roster to work with. To wit:

Big Blue All-Stars:
Coach Rex Chapman
Keith Bogans
DeMarcus Cousins
Josh Harrellson
Chuck Hayes
Brandon Knight
DeAndre Liggins
Jodie Meeks
Nazr Mohammed
Enes Kanter
Tayshaun Prince
Rajon Rondo
John Wall

The Villains:
Coach Christian Laettner
Corey Brewer
Kenneth Faried
Rudy Gay
Eric Gordon
Tyler Hansbrough
Shelvin Mack
Zach Randolph
Nolan Smith
Terrence Williams

There's some serious talent in this game, the kind of talent you usually have to pay NBA ticket money to go see. Thanks to the ongoing NBA labor lockout, that talent can come participate in a rather brilliant charity game idea. Kentucky fans get to unleash a little (hopefully good-natured) hatred toward Laettner and some former rivals while also seeing some quality basketball talent and raising money for a very worthy and important cause. The only question, then, is this: Why is Kenneth Faried a villain? After dropping Louisville in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year, you'd think Kentucky fans would have made him an honorary Wildcat for the night. Alas.

(HT: Mike Miller)

Considering Christian Laettner's history as one of the most successful, and derided, Dukies of all-time -- a symbol people have used to characterize Duke's basketball program, both positively and negatively, ever since -- it's funny to hear that it almost didn't happen. UNC fans, get ready for this, because your entire worldview is about to explode. Laettner was almost a Tar Heel.

Sure, Laettner always wanted to go to Duke. But in an interview with Devils Illustrated, the former All-American revealed that his mother was so upset her son chose Coach K over Dean Smith she openly wept:

"My second choice would've been Carolina. And when I told my mother I was going to Duke and not Carolina, she just cried and that made my decision process a little harder. But I still went with what felt right and it ended up working out well for me."

"She's happy about the decision now, but she really liked Dean Smith because one of his strengths was that he was really good at connecting with the parents and letting them know that he'd take really good care of their son. He was really good at it. She liked him a lot, but in the end, she ended up not regretting my decision at all."

First of all, Laettner is either the most resilient son of all-time, or his heart is as cold as ice. Have you ever seen your mother cry? Worse, have you ever made your mom cry? I think it's happened to me, like, twice, and it might be the most brutal thing ever. You never want to make Mom cry.

What's even more interesting is the notion that Laettner could have been a basketball player for the University of North Carolina. This historical hypothetical is fascinating. If Duke doesn't get Laettner, they almost certainly don't win the title in 1991 and 1992, which in turn sets Duke's rise to the college basketball elite back by who-knows-how-many years. Tar Heels fans adopt Laettner as one of their own. Instead of starting a company called Blue Devil Ventures, Laettner founds Tar Heel Ventures and becomes a fixture in the Chapel Hill community in the decades after his retirement from the NBA.

Wake up, Tar Heels fans! It was just a bad dream. Everything is OK. Laettner was a Dukie. Your world is still intact.

(Hat tip: The Dagger)