Thing is, Laettner has not made one public comment about the sale. There may be a reason for that: Laettner is not the one selling the jersey.
To hear Lelands chairman Josh Leland Evans tell it, the seller is a college buddy of Laettner’s who got the famed jersey simply by asking the former Duke star for it. Leland Evans says the seller has had it in his home office for years but now decided to sell it. The reserve price on the jersey is set at $100,000, which means the item cannot be sold for anything less.
Given that Team USA captain Mike Eruzione’s Miracle on Ice jersey sold last year at auction for nearly $657,000 last February, that $100K threshold should be easily met and make the seller some nice coin.
“Everything stops when you get those calls,” says Leland Evans, knowing full well the history involved with The Shot.
As well he should. Leland Evans was among those watching the game, and as a sports fan with no real rooting interest in the game, he was simply pulling for a great finish. Now his company stands to make 15 percent off whatever price the jersey fetches, as the jersey is being sold on consignment.
Which makes you wonder: Could Laettner really be happy that his buddy is selling the jersey?
“I have no way of knowing, but I think it’s a tough thing,” Leland Evans said. “Whether or not he’s happy or not or unhappy, it’s still gotta be tough to see something you gave away to be worth six figures. That’s really difficult.”
The world will find out just what the jersey is truly worth to someone on Friday, when the bidding closes. Leland Evans expects the action to go well into the night.
Laettner went on to make over $61 million in a 14-year NBA career, and presuming he is better with his money than Vince Young, he does not need the funds. But when your legacy is indeed tied to one game, one in which you hit all 10 field goals you attempted along with all 10 free throws for a game-high 31 points, a performance that sent your team to a fourth straight Final Four and a second straight national title, would you feel good about something you gave to a buddy being sold for a monumental profit?
Maybe Laettner doesn’t care, but we don’t know that. Multiple attempts by Sporting News to reach Laettner about the sale went unreturned.
But the fact that the seller wishes to remain anonymous raises the question—why be secretive about this unless you had something to hide or feared public backlash for selling it at all?
UTEP HAD SOME GAMBLERS
Three basketball players who began the season with the UTEP Miners are no longer enrolled at the university and will not return because they were suspected to be gambling on sports, school officials said in a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
Junior guards McKenzie Moore and Jalen Ragland, both suspended since Dec. 28 because of what Tim Floyd called team rules violations, are gone along with senior guard Justin Crosgile.
Officials said the FBI is handling an investigation of the matter; they said that after reviewing film of Miners games there was not a suspicion they’d been shaving points or betting on UTEP events.
“That’s how I feel right now, like I’ve been kicked in the stomach,” Floyd said during the news conference that included the school’s athletic director and president. He said that he gained the information that players had been betting and informed the UTEP administration; they then forwarded the tip to the FBI.
Moore, of Pleasant Hill, Calif., was the team’s leading scorer at 13.1 points per game. Crosgile of Paterson, N.J., was playing 21 minutes and averaging 5.4 points.
Ragland, of Chillicothe, Ohio, was a role player who averaged only 15 minutes per night.
UTEP is 10-5.
MCCAFFERY SUSPENDED ONE GAME
Iowa coach Fran McCaffery was suspended one game by the Big Ten for violating the league’s sportsmanship policy during the second half of Iowa’s game at Wisconsin on Jan. 5. McCaffery fumed at officials, earning two technical fouls that got him ejected.
The second came as a result of physical contact with an official, something that McCaffery denies happened. The suspension means McCaffery will miss the team’s game Thursday vs. Northwestern. Assistant coach Kirk Speraw will lead the team in McCaffery’s absence.
It just so happened that Thursday's game was to be Fran McCaffery Bobblehead Night, but Iowa has postponed that giveaway to the Jan. 19 game vs. Minnesota as a result of McCaffery's absence.
The league also fined the school $10,000.
“I want to again apologize to the University of Iowa, my players, staff and the tremendous Hawkeye fans for my emotional reaction during Sunday’s game,” McCaffery said in a statement. “I regret my actions and accept the Big Ten Conference’s decision. I am ready to move on.”
Though McCaffery denied the physical contact, it was apparent that there was some. While one official put his hand up to block McCaffery’s way, McCaffery took one step closer to the official, which is when he was whistled for the second T.
“Fran expressed his remorse and accepted responsibility from the first minute we talked on Monday morning,” said Iowa athletics director Gary Barta. “We accept the ruling of the Big Ten Conference and as a result Fran will not coach his team Thursday evening. We all look forward to putting the incident behind us. Our focus now is on Thursday night against Northwestern and the remainder of the conference season. Fran continues to have my full support moving forward.”
CALIPARI: NO COURT-STORMING
For as many times as his team has been atop the polls under his tutelage, Kentucky head coach John Calipari fancies himself an authority on the postgame court-storming ritual.
During his weekly radio spot on Kentucky's IMG Radio network, he tried to lay down the law on appropriate fan behavior by taking veiled shots at Indiana fans.
The unranked Hoosiers famously upset Cal's No. 1 Wildcats in December 2011 on a buzzer-beater by Christian Watford, 73-72.
Fans stormed the court at Assembly Hall in Bloomington before the referees could get to the review table.
Calipari has never forgotten that game or the fans' reaction, and he made sure they knew it during his segment.
"We don't have obnoxious — well, we may, but I never hear them — but we don't treat the other team with disrespect," he said.
"If we won a game against the No. 1 team in the country in Rupp Arena, would people charge the court? No. You're supposed to [win]. This is Kentucky. We don't do that here."
COOLEY'S HOT HOUSE
Providence men's basketball coach Ed Cooley and his family were forced to flee their house after a fire broke out, ESPN's Andy Katz reported Tuesday.
"Providence coach Ed Cooley, his wife, children all OK and in a hotel after a fire at his house. He said there is a lot of damage to home." — Andy Katz (@ESPNAndyKatz)
Cooley's Friars (10-5, 0-2 Big East) will be at home Wednesday night vs. Georgetown.
Contributors: Roger Kuznia, Mike DeCourcy, Kami Mattioli, Tom Gatto
