Iconic Duke basketball shot compared to Jalen Suggs’ buzzer beater

Jalen Suggs' buzzer beater compared to iconic Duke basketball shot (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Jalen Suggs' buzzer beater compared to iconic Duke basketball shot (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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The iconic Duke basketball buzzer beater by Christian Laettner might have new company.

Even when the Duke basketball program isn’t in the Final Four, the Blue Devils are still a hot topic of conversation.

Saturday night provided the country with the best game of college basketball season as the top overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs faced the underdog UCLA Bruins in the Final Four.

The Bruins gave Gonzaga all they could handle and then some, forcing the ‘Zags into overtime for the first time this season. And despite Johnny Juzang tying the game with 3.3 seconds left in the extra session, Jalen Suggs etched his name into NCAA Tournament history.

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Suggs’ jaw-dropping buzzer beater was immediately compared to some of the most iconic shots in the tournament’s history, including Kris Jenkins’ shot to win the National Championship and Christian Laettner’s buzzer beater against Kentucky.

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Jenkins’ shot should be held above the rest as it won a title at the horn, but the debate is raging on as to what is the best shot.

Did the iconic Duke basketball shot really get bested?

Christian Laettner pushed Duke into the Final Four with arguably the most famous shot in NCAA Tournament history, and the play seemed far more difficult than Suggs’ buzzer beater.

Not only did the Hall of Famer needed to hit a turnaround fadeaway as time ran down, but Grant Hill also needed to execute a perfect football-style pass the length of the floor to his star fellow star forward to have a chance at hitting the shot.

If Christian Laettner missed, Duke lost. If Jalen Suggs missed, Gonzaga was going to double overtime.

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The Blue Devils ended up winning the National Championship with victories over Indiana and Michigan in the 1992 NCAA Tournament. Now, Gonzaga still has a date with Baylor to see if it will become the first team since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers to become an undefeated champion.

Should Gonzaga win its first title in program history, Jalen Suggs’ shot will only grow in historic value. But Christian Laettner’s shot, which made him 10-of-10 from the field to go along with 10-of-10 from the foul line, should be held in higher regard…for now.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs and Baylor Bears will tipoff at 9:20pm EST (CBS) on Monday, April 5 in the NCAA Tournament Championship Game.

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