If you took all the players who have come through Duke Basketball since 1960, for argument’s sake, and you had to pick one guy who epitomizes what we think of as Duke Basketball, it would be hard to beat Shane Battier.
When he came to Duke, a lot of people predicted he’d run for president one day. Probably not going to happen, but it still speaks well of the man.
He became one of Duke’s best interviews, dropping great lines all over the place, and more importantly, became one of Duke’s greatest leaders.
In 2001, he was a major factor in Duke’s comeback against Maryland, and no one – not Christian Laettner, not Bobby Hurley, not Grayson Allen – has ever played harder, and given more of himself, than Battier did in the national championship game in 2001.
Yet one of his best traits may have been that he was willing to listen. And when Brotherhood member Chip Engelland approached him and told him “you’re not making the NBA with that jump shot,” Battier listened.
We don’t know when exactly this happened, but we have a suspicion. We’re betting that it was after his freshman year, and this is why:
Some will remember that Battier, who was a tremendous defender but not really an offensive factor early in his career, erupted against Maryland on February 3, 1999. He scored 27 points on 10-13 from the floor, including 4-4 from behind the line.
Afterwards, when asked what was behind that breakout performance, he attributed it to watching a documentary on Shaolin Monks.
We call Bull Durham on that! This was the result of his work with Engelland.
However, it was a brilliant bit of myth-making by #31.
And now you know.
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