( CNN ) '' The Stomp '' remains one of the most controversial plays in NCAA history -- when Duke 's Christian Laettner lifted his foot and stepped on Kentucky 's Aminu Timberlake during a critical moment of what has been called the greatest college basketball game ever played , the 1992 NCAA East Regional Final . Mention The Stomp in a diner or bar in Kentucky and you best be prepared for a string of expletives -- from the blue-haired elders to the wealthiest thoroughbred trainers -- about how Laettner is the vilest human on Earth . Then , the woulda , coulda , shouldas begin : Laettner should 've been kicked out ; he should never have been in the game to hit that miraculous shot ; Kentucky should 've advanced to the Final Four . The Stomp returned to headlines this week after ESPN aired a `` 30 for 30 '' documentary called `` I Hate Christian Laettner , '' detailing the life of one of the best players to ever play college ball and why he remains a lightning rod to this day . When it comes to The Stomp , Laettner says he decided to give a `` little payback '' while Timberlake lay helpless on the ground . If Kentucky fans needed more reason to hate Laettner , those words might 've been it . But on Twitter , Laettner issued a video apology to Timberlake , the first time he 'd ever done so : . Timberlake could 've lashed back , but he 's too classy for that . He is one of the nicest guys you 'll ever meet . He remains active in basketball , coaching an eighth-grade girls travel-team in Atlanta . ( In full transparency , I coached with him last year . ) He responded to Laettner , saying he appreciates and accepts the apology . But he makes it clear where his loyalty lies . At the end of his 23-second message , Timberlake 's voice turns into a smooth baritone and he ends with : `` Go Big Blue . '' Timberlake does n't dwell on The Stomp . The thing he prefers to remember from that game was the honor of playing in it -- and the locker room speech by Coach Rick Pitino after the game . Pitino held up an old Sports Illustrated cover that said the Kentucky program was in shambles . Pitino told his players that although they lost on the court , his players had done something much bigger : They 'd put Kentucky basketball back on the map . `` It put a lot of things in perspective , especially for a young team in a program that had just returned from heavy NCAA sanctions , '' Timberlake says . `` All I remember is working with our heads down , attacking every practice and every game to the best of our ability . And that speech just reminded us of what was accomplished through that hard work , even in a loss . '' That is a message , he says , that still resonates in his life : `` Sometimes you do n't see the full picture and do n't reap the immediate rewards of your work , but 9 times out of 10 good things do happen . '' Timberlake has had fun with The Stomp over the years , even donning a `` I Still Hate Laettner '' T-shirt that was given to him and posing with fans when Kentucky and Duke played a couple years ago . He jokes that he 's not sure if he was `` a true hater '' of Laettner like so many others . But that game will never quite sit well with Kentucky players and fans . However , Timberlake says the documentary gave him a new perspective on Laettner that he thought he 'd never have . `` I can really respect his accomplishments , his basketball career and his passion for the game , '' Timberlake says . Do n't get him wrong . Timberlake still bleeds Kentucky blue . He 'd love to see Kentucky play Duke for the title this year , this time with the Wildcats walking away as the winners . Face off against your favorite anchors in the CNN March Madness bracket challenge .
Christian Laettner apologizes 23 minutes later for stomping on player . pat Timberlake accepts apology , but hopes Kentucky remembers it all . he says he prefers to give player 's speech to team . The Stomp remains a bitterly divisive topic to this day .