[NBA.com] Banter with Battier

Hayesfan · Jan 29, 2007

Link

It's rather long, but interesting to read

Andre: When you were 12-years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Shane: Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a professional basketball player. It was my dream to play in the NBA and I’m happy that I’m living out my dream everyday.

Andre: Wow. So no fireman, policeman, FBI agent? None of that?

Shane: You know what? Ever since I was young I just knew I was going to be a basketball player and there was never any doubt. It wasn’t like when I looked at the odds and I saw the odds as one in a million, or one in 56,000 people, I always looked at myself and said, “Hey, it’s a good thing I’m that one person.”

Andre: I hear you, nothing wrong there. Now, at what age do you remember being taller than all the other kids?

Shane: I was always the tallest kid in my grade. In sixth grade I was 6-feet tall, in seventh grade I was 6-4, eighth grade I was 6-7. The shining day for me was in fifth grade when I was finally taller than my mom. That’s when it finally came to me that I was tall.

Andre: Hey, Shane, what was your first job growing up?

Shane: My first job growing up was a caddy at Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham, Mich. It was a tough job. I was in sixth grade and carrying those heavy bags. I was such a big kid for that age, they used to give me, they called it “double loops.” I used to carry two bags for all 18 holes. Looking back at it, I don’t know how I did it.

Andre: Since I’m a golf nut, not only do I now have a hook-up at Birmingham, but also, that makes you appreciate the guys who take care of their caddies.

Shane: Yeah. I always try to take care of my caddies because I know it’s a tough job.

Andre: Did you ever get stiffed?

Shane: Always. All the time. Oh yeah, I had the cheapies out there, really bad guys. So, I’ve remembered that when I have caddies.

Andre: You’re from Detroit, so how much Motown sound was in your house growing up?

Shane: A lot. A lot. My parents introduced me to Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and I remember playing those records on the old school record players when I was really, really young.

Andre: I know that your favorite artist is Marvin Gaye, so is that because he started on Tamla Records which became Motown?

Shane: Yeah. One of my first recollections of having a music memory was listening to “Let’s Get It On” album and it stayed with me.

Andre: I’m going to ask for your top six Marvin Gaye songs. I’m gonna go ahead and give you mine and give you a minute to think about yours. It’s hard to just do six, but at six I’m gonna go “Trouble Man.” At five I’m gonna go “Distant Lover.” Four is “Lets Get It On.” Three is “After the Dance.” Two is “Sexual Healing,” and then one for me is “What’s Going On?”

Shane: I like it. I like it. My wife and I danced to “Let’s Get It On” at our wedding, so that’s got to be No.1. “What’s Going On?” is two, for me. “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” is three. I like the duets with Tammi Terrell. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and then I’m going to say, “Trouble Man,” as No. 5.

Andre: OK, we like that. But I was thinking of six, just because … just because.

Shane: I’m gonna say, “Make Me Want to Holler.”

Andre: Oh man, see, it was hard for me to keep that out of mine.

Shane: (Laughing).

Andre: We could make the list be 30 and we’d still be short.

Shane: I know. You’re right, you’re right.

Andre: So you know so many great players that have come out of Detroit high schools. There’s Steve Smith, Kevin Willis at Pershing, Dave DeBusschere at Austin Catholic, George Gervin at MLK, and obviously C-Webb at Country Day. We could name 30 other guys, but my question to you is, did you think you would reach the NBA when you first got to Detroit Country Day?

Shane: You know what? It’s kind of funny. I went to the same high school as Chris Webber and all I really heard was how I would never be half the player that Chris Webber was going to be.

And Chris and I are really good friends. I played with both of his brothers. But sort of, coming out of Detroit, Chris was from Detroit and I was from the suburbs, and no one really thought that I would have a great career.

But, I had faith in myself and I knew in my heart that I was going to work and even though I wasn’t blessed with the talent that Chris was and a lot of guys out of Detroit, I knew that nobody could stop me from working hard.

I had a plan and at the end of my plan I reached my goal.

It was kind of funny though because going into ninth grade, Chris, he had won three state titles, won Mr. Basketball and won the Naismith National Basketball Player of the Year award. So those were big shoes to fill.

But, ironically, at the end of my career, I also won three state titles, won Mr. Basketball and won the Naismith award for National College Player of the Year.

When I go back to Detroit I don’t like to talk a lot of smack to people but, I hold my head up high.

Andre: You should on that. The other thing, at Country Day you had to wear uniforms, right?

Shane: Yup.

Andre: So did you just wear his suit and tie or what?

Shane: No, no. I wore my khakis and I had my letterman’s sweater. I kept it simple.

Andre: And just so I don’t lose my Detroit credentials, I got to give a shout out to my man Darvin Ham from Saginaw and of course Magic from Lansing – I know that’s officially not Detroit, but I’ll hear from them if I don’t give them some love.

Hey, what was the biggest cultural shock when you got to Duke?

Shane: The biggest cultural shock, well, I went to private school. Detroit Country Day was a private school, so it was very similar to Duke. Probably the biggest culture shock was probably just being in the South.

The South is a little different. The pace of life is a little slower then even Detroit, even though it’s in the Midwest. It’s a much slower pace.

I learned to slow down a little bit and enjoy the walk, as they say.

Andre: There’s a perception that because you’re a nice guy, and you’re good, that Coach K probably never yelled at you. Is that true or false?

Shane: (Laughing). Ohhh, I wish. I wish it were true.

For those who don’t know Coach K, people are surprised when I tell them he’s a great coach but he’s not mild mannered. Most people think he’s mild mannered but when you don’t play Duke basketball, you hear it. I was no exception.

He didn’t yell at me a whole lot, but when I was younger the time I remember he yelled at me, we had just lost to North Carolina, pretty bad and he goes, “Battier. Hey, ‘I’m Mr. All-American. I’m a nice guy. Everybody likes me. I’m not tough.’”

He just ripped me up and down and I learned that you couldn’t go through Duke University without being tough and without bringing it every single night.

Andre: Have you had any teammates that were Tarheels, as a pro?

Shane: No, not yet. I’m sure I’ll run into one, one of these days.

Andre: Shane, to me in a sense you’re odd in the fact that you had your number retired at Duke before you won a championship there. So, is there anyway you guys weren’t going to win the title in 2001 after that happened?

Shane: (Laughing). You know what? It’s kind of scary. It was a great story the way it all turned out, but, at the time I got my jersey retired against Georgia Tech, which was the second to last home game.

Then, on my Senior Night we played the University of Maryland, lost that game and Carlos Boozer breaks his foot so everyone sort of just counted us out. They said, “Well, Duke is done. Boozer’s done.”

My jersey had already been retired.

We go to North Carolina and insert little-used Casey Sanders into the starting lineup. No one gave us a shot to beat Carolina, that’s when they were really good, and we go in there and win by 20.

And we roll through the ACC tournament, and we get Carlos back in the NCAA tournament, and we win.

Most people think we were the odds-on favorite going into the tournament, but it was just the opposite. No one really gave us a shot without our starting center. It turns out, it’s a great story, but at the time we weren’t feeling real confident.

Andre: I think, to me, your best play in the title game against Arizona was the screen you set late in the contest that allowed Jason Williams to hit a three with a minute to go and you guys’ five-point lead becomes an eight-point lead. So, you’ve always done those other little things other than scoring and stuff. Was that your mindset always coming up?

Shane: It’s about making plays and I’ve had great coaches who’ve taught me it’s not just the big shots that win games in the waning moments of a game. It’s the screens, it’s the loose balls, it’s the fundamental plays throughout a basketball game that add up. If that’s your habit, you’re going to make those plays in the final moments of a close one. It sort of becomes who you are as a player instead of just making those plays in the last couple minutes of the game.

Andre: OK. Then I can go back to last week too. You guys were in Chicago, Bulls are trailing by two … 25 seconds left … I’m pretty sure my man Ben Gordon was going to make a shot over Chuck Hayes, but you came out of nowhere with the double team, or at least Ben didn’t know you were there. When did you know you had a shot to trap him?

Shane: Well, I was guarding Ben off the pick-and-roll and Chuck Hayes did a great job of stringing him out and making him take a few extra dribbles. We’re always taught to keep pursuing the play, you never know in a situation like that. You might get a hand on the ball. You might steal it if he tries to pass it. So, on plays like that, especially late in the game, you try to never give up on a play and luckily I was able to come over the top and get a piece of the ball and stay inbounds. It was a big play for us.

Andre: Absolutely. OK. We’re going to move on now to practice. Dikembe Mutombo ever block your shot in practice?

Shane: You know what? Dikembe has not blocked my shot in practice.

Andre: Wow.

Shane: I don’t really challenge him a whole lot. Because I know I’m probably … I’m not going to dunk it on him. The only way I would attack him is with a floater, but he hasn’t blocked my shot yet.

Andre: Have you ever caught one of his elbows?

Shane: No. I stay clear of him.

Andre: So you’re not going to be part of that club. That’s a big club, too.

Shane: No, I bleed enough as is. I have stitches in my head right now from Corliss Williamson’s elbow and so I’m a bleeder. I try to avoid all sticky situations like that.

Andre: Is your favorite movie really Anchorman?

Shane: It is. That or The Big Lebowski.

Andre: I tell you what, you’re going to have a whole room full of new fans in our newsroom and for me, I was born in San Diego and raised there, so while I continue to shed a tear for my beloved Chargers, you’re actually cheering me up by talking about San Diego’s favorite anchorman, Ron Burgandy.

How many times have you watched that movie?

Shane: Oh, I’ve probably seen it … It’s one of those movies where if its on HBO or Showtime I end up watching. It doesn’t where it is in the movie. So I’ve probably seen partially or fully probably at least 40 times.

Andre: You know, there are a few run-away egos in our business whether it broadcast or sports, so I love it when Ron tells Veronica Corningstone, “I don’t know how to put this, but, I’m kind of a big deal.”

Shane: (Laughing). Yes. “I have many leather-bound books.”

Andre: (Laughing). Of course there’s Jack Black punting Baxter, that’s not bad either.

Shane: No, there are very few low points in that movie.

Andre: Who was your favorite athlete growing up?

Shane: Growing up in Detroit, I loved Isiah Thomas. I loved Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell, I’m a big baseball guy. I can recite the starting lineup of the ’84 Tigers …

Andre: Why do you gotta bring up the team that beats my Padres?

Shane: That’s my first sports memory. I was six-years old and that was my first memory of sports. Kirk Gibson hitting that homerun off the Goose, Goose Gossage. That’s good times for me.

Andre: I can cut you some slack because Alan Trammell went to high school in San Diego, so we can leave that there … Did you ever play any instruments?

Shane: I played the trumpet when I was in fourth through ninth grade, then I didn’t have time to practice it so I had to give it up for sports. But, recently the last couple years I’ve taken up the acoustic guitar.

Andre: Oh wow. Your hands aren’t too big?

Shane: Nope. You know, its good exercise for dexterity and it chills me out after a tough game.

Andre: I know you married your high school sweetheart, if she was here right now, what would she say your most irritating habit around the house is?

Shane: My most irritating habit around the house is that I always leave electronics on. I always leave the lights on. I always leave the TV running and will just go into another room. I’m pretty neat, I’m not messy, but I like to leave things on.

Andre: Are you working on that?

Shane: I am. It’s a New Year’s resolution. I’m trying to be more conscience of that and just be a better husband.

Andre: If everyone on earth kept a diary, and you had the chance to read just one, whose would it be? And your answer can’t be your wife or Jeff Van Gundy.

Shane: I would really enjoy reading Michael Jackson’s diary. Just I’m a huge fan of his old stuff and I’d love to see where it went wrong.

Andre: Who’s the best-dressed Rocket?

Shane: The best-dressed Rocket is probably Juwan Howard and Dikembe.

Andre: Which Rocket should stop singing in the shower?

Shane: That would have to be Kirk Snyder.

Andre: OK. That’s because he was a former Jazz man.

Let’s do a quick word association, all right?

Hot.

Shane: Equator.

Andre: Chocolate.

Shane: Hershey’s.

Andre: Ball-hog.

Shane: Gunner.

Andre: OK. Nobody answers that one quickly. Everybody I’ve asked that question I think four names go across and they think, “Well, no, I better not go there.” So gunner is good.

Sweet potato or pumpkin pie?

Shane: Sweet potato.

Andre: Absolutely. Who is the baddest superhero; Batman, Superman, or Aquaman?

Shane: Batman. That’s my nickname. Batman.

Andre: Which actor plays you in The Shane Battier Story?

Shane: A young Morgan Freeman.

Andre: I want Joe Pesci to be in the movie, but he has to be Coach K, Mike Fratello, or Jeff Van Gundy. So, what role does Joe Pesci get?

Shane: I would say he’s Mike Fratello. Andy Garcia is Coach K. And Jeff Van Gundy … I don’t know who would play him. I would say Pesci is more Fratello.

Andre: Pesci as Fratello; Is that a size thing or more a verbal situation?

Shane: No, I think it’s the New Jersey thing -- the accent and mannerism thing.

Andre: We’ll finish up on a serious note here. You were with the Grizzlies for five years and I’m talking to you in the month that we honor Dr. Martin Luther King. Personally, I think every American should spend some time at the National Civil Rights Museum. So, can you describe some of the feelings that you had the first time you walked through the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was assassinated?

Shane: It really is an awe-inspiring place to walk through and the museum is built right into the Lorraine Motel and it’s chilling to walk by the exact spot where Dr. King was shot. When you walk through the museum you realize how far this country has come and you understand the struggle and the sacrifices that so many great Americans made, both black and white, so we could have the society that we live in.

It’s not perfect. We still have a ways to go, but I challenge anyone to walk through the museum and not have a better appreciation for the Civil Rights Movement and struggle.

Andre: OK. Dr. King’s daughter Bernice is an elder at the church that I went to while living in Atlanta, and just for me personally, I know I’m a better person because of Dr. King’s life and his legacy and I just think that we’re all reflections and testaments to our parents, whether that’s good or bad. My question to you is, why is it important for you to be a positive role model?

Shane: I believe it’s my job to be a positive role model because I believe it’s everybody’s job to make our society, our world, a better place.

I was fortunate enough to have positive influences in my life – both my parents and my family – to where I understand its not about how much money you have, its not about the things you have and can buy, its about family, its about community, its about helping others.

That’s what brings happiness in this life I believe.
Click to expand...

Achilleus · Jan 29, 2007

Thanks for posting this!

I just wish Andre would talk less about himself...

BattiersBaby · Jan 29, 2007

Hayesfan said:

Link

It's rather long, but interesting to read
Click to expand...

This is TERRIFIC! Thanks, Hayesfan!

BattiersBaby.

rrj_gamz · Jan 29, 2007

Man you weren't kidding...That was way too long...His wife is kinda hawt...

texanskan · Jan 29, 2007

Thanks for posting, I saw this too but was lazy

Believe · Jan 29, 2007

Batman???

finalsbound · Jan 29, 2007

He likes The Big Lebowski...I honestly didn't think Battier could get any more badass, but then I read that.

Thanks for posting! Shane's interviews are always in-depth and entertaining.

SLrocket · Jan 29, 2007

yes, batman. <img src=http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/951/shanebattiersmallnz8.jpg>

made it myself

TRAVLR · Jan 29, 2007

Very Interesting read, thanks for posting this....

BattiersBaby · Jan 29, 2007

Believe said:

Batman???
Click to expand...

"BATTMAN," actually.

BattiersBaby.

KALIKULI · Jan 29, 2007

Excellent post and i thank you for sharing Battiers short personality!

rofflesaurus · Jan 29, 2007

Is he black? Or half? Or what?

I've always wondered this.

AroundTheWorld · Jan 30, 2007

Nice interview...go Battier!

kjames44 · Jan 30, 2007

Great read on Shane...class guy indeed!

kpsta · Jan 30, 2007

Shane wins for being an old school Marvin fan...

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[NBA.com] Banter with Battier

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