HoopWatch

I just love watching Shane Battier play! The Houston Rockets forward epitomizes how an ideal athlete should be. He is extremely hard working, he dives for loose balls, he is smart and athletic, he could score from both outside and inside, but does not demand the ball a lot, he plays his role without hesitation, he does not hurt you by turning the ball over a lot, and he can play three positions on the floor (power forward, small forward, and shooting guard). He has basically the same qualities that made Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace highly paid stars, even better.

Battier contributed much in Houston’s 85-76 win over his former team, the Memphis Grizzlies, earlier. Battier, by the way, was traded for Stromile Swift and Rudy Gay (Houston’s supposedly number 8 pick this season) just before the season started. Although, those numbers could not be seen in the stat sheet. His contributions in the score card read: five points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks, and a single turnover in 41 minutes. You might say that’s ugly. But if you watched the game, you would have seen all those intangibles Battier contributed. He took the charge five times, he dived for loose balls and gave the possession back to Houston at least thrice, and at crucial times at that, and he forced at least 8 turnovers with his hustles and quick hands. He hit a crucial corner three in the fourth quarter when the Grizzlies were trying to come back, off a Tracy McGrady pass.

More than that game, Battier is currently averaging 8.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.8 blocks and just 1.08 turnovers a game. Those blocks and steals contribution are big, Just ask any fantasy NBA enthusiasts. They are rare.

Battier is one of a few players who completed four years in college. He played and stayed for the Duke Blue Devils despite former teammates Elton Brand and Corey Magette leaving early for the NBA. He could have applied for the draft earlier as well, but he didn’t. He instead led the Blue Devils to two Final Four appearances in 1999 and 2001, and even winning the NCAA championship in 2001. Duke even had his #31 jersey retired.

Battier is one of a kind, a rare one. He is the athlete that kids should emulate, admire, idolize and aspire to be. He is humble and unselfish. All he cares about is for his team to win. He’ll hustle for it, dive for it, and sacrifice his stats for it. He is helping Houston to an impressive start with a 9-4 record, tied with Dallas and just behind San Antonio (10-3) in the Southwest Division. If you haven’t seen him play, you are missing out a lot. The next time Houston’s playing, you should tune in and watch! (pic courtesy of yahoonba.com)