USA - Duo looking to succeed once more

WASHINGTON (NCAA) - Having proved a winning combination on the court, Brian Davis and Christian Laettner are now working together off it to achieve success in the business world.

In the early 1990s, Davis and Laettner were co-captains of the Duke Blue Devils teams that won back-to-back national titles in 1991 and 1992, and Laettner will forever be remembered for his buzzer-beating winner against Kentucky in the 1992 East regional final of the NCAA Tournament.

Duke won the game, regarded by many as the “greatest college basketball game ever played,” 104-103.

The pair - who are now joint owners of community development company Blue Devil Ventures - have launched a bid to buy the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team with the aim of using it to redevelop the area surrounding the FedExForum.

This week, they joined a consortium which bought the Washington-based soccer club DC United for $33 million.

The deal is led by African-American businessman Victor MacFarlane, who has pledged to make the team more accessible to minority ethnic groups, but it is the presence of Davis and Laettner on the new board which has caught the media’s attention.

Davis now lives in Washington with his wife Marsha, a former Miss Maryland, while Laettner spent four years with the Washington Wizards during an NBA career that spanned 12 seasons.

"Being a part of this new ownership group is a realisation of a dream for me," said Davis.

"While I am also proud of what I have accomplished as an African-American developer and businessman, having grown up in the District makes this all the more special. I have the opportunity now to directly give back to the community and support my hometown team."

PA Sport