Laettner Injured In Workout

Forward Christian Laettner, who has been prevented from testing the free-agent market due to the NBA lockout, ruptured his Achilles tendon last week at Duke University, his alma mater.

An unidentified coach in the Duke men's basketball office said Laettner suffered the injury during a pickup game, adding it was a "freak accident." He had surgery on the tendon at Duke University Medical Center last week.

The 6-11 Laettner, who made $5.35 million in the final year of a six-year, $21.6 million contract, averaged 13.8 points and 6.6 rebounds last season for the Atlanta Hawks but lost his starting job to Alan Henderson in the second half of the season.

The Hawks, keeping with NBA policy during the lockout, had no comment on the injury, which could not come at a worse time for Laettner. He turned down a seven-year extension offer from the Hawks last summer and cannot negotiate with the Hawks or any other team until the lockout is lifted.

The 29-year-old Laettner was the third overall pick of the 1992 draft and spent his first three-plus seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves before being sent to the Hawks in a four-player trade during the 1996-97 season.

Laettner was a member of Duke's 1991 and 1992 NCAA Tournament championship teams and was the only collegian on "Dream Team I," a team of NBA stars that won the gold medal in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

In the 1992 East Region finals, Laettner hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer in a 104-103 overtime victory over Kentucky, arguably the best NCAA Tournament game ever played.

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