Laettner was the face of the Duke Blue Devils that won back-to-back national titles.

The Duke squad of the early 90s is in the conversation as one of the best collegiate basketball teams of all time. Grant Hilland Christian Laettner formed a formidable forward combo, while Bobby Hurley was always a steady hand at point guard.

The problem was that any Blue Devil ensemble would instantly become villains in the eyes of college basketball fans. The race factor was, well, always a factor, since Duke was always thought of as a predominantly white institution. It’s always a thing in sports ーalways has, always been.

Plus, the Blue Devils exude a sense of entitlement and a notion of privileged status that people love to hate. Take everything into account, and right in front of everyone to see was the most hated team in America.

Laettner was the guy everyone loved to hate

That villain perception needed a face, and Laettner fit the bill too perfectly. He was clean-cut, aggressive, and what he did on the basketball court rubbed people the wrong way. Christian also constantly delivered in big moments, which made it easier for everyone else to root against him.

However, looks can be deceiving. Hill was teammates with the dude for two championship seasons, so he could definitely tell people were reading Laettner wrong.

“I think it’s because we had some really good white players,” Hill said on “The Chris Webber Show,” trying to explain the hate Duke players get from fans. “We had Danny Ferry, who was National Player of the Year, and then that became Christian and Bobby. I don’t know. Maybe it’s more than that, but I mean, I know there’s been documentaries that tried to debunk the myths and all of that.”