Buffalo Born Basketball Legend Brings Camp Back To WNY

It's sometimes hard to get by during some parts of the year without a professional basketball team in Buffalo. Although Western New York is a football city with a notable hockey problem, it has a deep and rich history with the sport of basketball. Notably, Buffalo has produced some great players who have made their mark on the hardwood, influencing the game worldwide.

Even without a NBA team, there if very little doubt that Buffalonains love basketball.

A key thing that makes this place great is that every once in a while we famous folks from Buffalo come back home to the 716 to grab some Timmy's or some pizza, and of-course, give back to the town that made them great.

That exact thing is happening this week at Nichols School in North Buffalo, as Buffalo-born basketball great Christian Laettner is back in town to lead his signature basketball camp at his alma mater.

Who Is Christian Laettner

Christian Laettner is considered one of the greatest college basketball players of all time, a former US Olympic Gold Medalist, NCAA Champion, NBA All-Star, and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member from Western New York.

Laettner grew up in Angola, New York, a suburb just south of Buffalo, and played high school basketball near Delaware Park in Buffalo. While at Nichols, he set the school record for most points in a career, leading the team to two state championship titles —a record he held for 36 years, until Jakye Rainey broke it last year.

After high school, Laettner truly started to shine as a star at Duke University. While playing for the Blue Devils, Laettner won several awards and honors as a player, and also won two consecutive NCAA titles in 1991 and 1992.

Laettner also holds the distinction of being the sole college player who was a member of the 1992 Dream Team, aka the US Men's National Basketball Team, who won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics.

Laettner then spent 13 years as an NBA Star, playing for Minnesota, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, Washington, and Miami.

Christian Laettner Returns To Buffalo For Basketball Camp

Although Laettner now lives in Florida, his Western New York roots run deep, and his love and dedication to Buffalo and his alma mater, Nichols, remain strong.

One way he shows his love for Buffalo is by hosting an annual Basketball Camp at Nichols School, where boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 18 learn from one of the best people to ever play the game.

The Christian Laettner Basketball Academy is running all week in the City of Buffalo, and I can say it was great to see nearly 100 kids on the court, ready and eager to learn from this Buffalo-born basketball legend.