Smart? He's got charisma but if he thinks Rox won the Portland series without Yao and Ron... Shane is not smart and this interview proves it. I honestly think this guy struggled with ADD growing up. He's not too well spoken. I don't know if he can be in a front office much less President of the country. So where did this praise for intelligence even come from? I'm shocked.
It's not ADD! The Rockets wouldn't have made it to the playoffs,let alone getting into the 2nd round without Yao. Shane Battier is fully aware of that.
He's b ball intelligent with the limited physical gifts but not intelligent otherwise. With that said I want him back in Houston next season obviously and I think with pieces moved over the summer we can afford him.
So called "God" Morey hasn't done too much since his arrival. He need to do a lot of homeworks to get us a future center in coming draft. He will run out time if he can not do it in next two years.
Well, how much does your employer care about your exit interview? It's customary, nobody cares. If he says nice things only, it would be simple politeness. If he says something you don't really like at the moment, so be it. Shane would care a lot less than you do.
Going to miss Shane...he was a true leader... I hope he would come back, IF we make the appropriate moves to get better.
Our front office treats our players like ****. Its no wonder nobody wants to play here. I mean you can't call Shane freakin Battier? Wtf is wrong with Les and Morey?
I don't know. What is the customary practice of this kind of thing? Is the GM supposed to wait till the paper works are official before he tells the player?
he's just upset right now. im sure he knew he was at risk of being traded with yao out and him being an expiring. hope he cools off and signs with us again.
It's a BUSINESS!!! A team can trade a player anytime (as long as it follows NBA rules) Is it sad yes but it's a business.. Its why I'm not mad at Lebron (yes I had to go there) for leaving Cleveland high and dry...
Spoiler Look who it is! How's it been? Been crazy man. It's surreal. Good to be back. I gotten more emails/texts from people about being back. You hope for that kind of ovation. Of all the teams you could have gone to. It's unbelievable. So tell me about yesterday. Did you know you were being traded? I had no idea. Thought it was 50/50. Agent tried to find out but was told Rockets had something in the works but nothing concrete so 50/50. Nervewrecking day to be honest. I had an off day so I sat around trying to waste time to get to 2 o'clock. Kept going on one of the NBA rumor sites. What site? Hoopshype --I dunno. ... Twitter feeds were best source of info. Hitting refresh? Hitting refresh. Trying to find out if Im packing my bags for 2 months or/and leave my wife and kids. First to ever find out if you were traded by twitter? Not sure if I'm the first. At 1:55 when I hit refresh, I saw it. Shane Battier to Memphis for Hasheem Thabeet. Were you aware? It was sorta reported the night before. It was but there are so many trades reported that dont happen. Least obvious ones go through. I dismissed it. But when it went through, it was unbelievable. Who called you? No one did. .. All my friends did since they were on those same websites but... The Grizz couldnt call me because it didnt go through yet. Daryl? Couple hours later. I was just hanging out. Had a Budweiser and pondered the next 4 months. Are you at your house? Yes. Wife? In Detroit. Shes in route back to Houston the next day. So in your house alone, sitting on the computer, hitting refresh? Yes. Where was I going? Cant make this stuff up. So you find out then what? I call my friend in Houston and said well...I'm going back to Memphis. She said you're lying. I said yep. My wife was getting her hair done or something but thought I was pulling her leg as well. You had to convince these people it was real? Yes. Most fans think trades are fun and exciting. For the players, I gotta pack my bags for 3-4 months and get my stuff in order. You have to figure all this stuff out and then wait til the offseason. Yes. Exactly. Bizarre. Never been traded in-season. Nervewrecking. You seem to be handling it ok. I'm familiar. Not like I'm going to Utah or Charlotte. I know everything and everyone here. I said yesterday you coming back and probably could go back to your old house. Went on the market Wednesday. You getting it? Not at this time. ... Crazy. Great house btw. You loved the house? I did. Will wife stay in Houston or come to Memphis? Probably stay. She's pregnant. Oh my goodness. 1 already and another on the way. Yes. Know what it is? Was suprised the first time, will be surprised again. Got 2 1/2 year old son. Zeke Battier. How about basketball wise - you basketball wise. You are in a contract year. Memphis wants you long term. Puts you in akward spot. Better than saying we want to rent him. Makes you feel good. Grizz got issues they got to resolve. With new CBA, no one knows the financial future. Worried about playing next year? We'll play. How many games, I dont know. ... Depends on what football does. Will Shane Battier be willing to come back to Memphis? They made committment to Gay. Its about being an integral player. Not about starting. Dont care how many points I score. I want to be valued and be productive and be on a winner. Youre just on time! We havent been to playoffs since you left. I'm excited about this team. A dangerous team. We had to play our tails off in Houston. It's exciting though. You went through crazy wirlwind in Houston. You got a championship with Houston then injuries hit. They brought players in to fit with Ming. Now you and Brooks move off. Have you taken time to reflect on your time in Houston? Yeah. I love my 5 years in Houston. Wouldnt trade it for anything. I was initially suppose to be compliment to Yao and Tracy. Probably played 60 games in 5 years with both healthy. Thats the brace though. No boo hoo or woah is me or I wasted my time on injuries. Im proud of the way we responded. Proud we won our first playoff series in 16 years. Is that right? Yeah, since 19 whatever. Had been 16 years. We beat the Blazers as 5 seed without Yao, McGrady, Mutombo. Did it w/ 6'6 Hayes at center and with Scola, me. Did it with grit and determination. One of the sweetest things in basketball for me. I dont look at what I didnt do. I accomplished a lot. Had great years. Wish I could have more success, my biggest regret is that and wish we had full group of guys for a championship but proud of what I accomplished. Do you think..how many years do you have left? 3-4 good years on a nightly basis and 1-2 on a quazi basis. I know you think about that. ... So a 5 year deal? I would be happy with 3-4 year deal if it was right. You say you want to win. Explain. I want to be in a winning situation. JVG put it best, really ultimately, when you win a championship, your life is affected 3 days -- the night you win, the victory parade, and the night you recieve rings. Other than that, your life doesnt change. ... I've won an NCAA championship but thats different. You dont have to win a ring to be fulfilled? No. If I dont play another game, I'd be fulfilled and happy that I did my best. But I want to be part of a winning situation. I've been part of a losing situation, its not fun. I heard your PC. Did you resent Memphis for trading you? I dont. I understood what Jerry was thinking. But it still stung. Stings of rejection. When you're young and I was, you tend to harbor ill-will but now I dont. Did you put curse on Grizzlies after you left? No I didnt. They had a tough run. Pau broke his foot, that was the end, and then he gets shipped out, then it was rebuilding. They got a great core now. How about what you were traded for this time? You tell me. Did you call Houston and say WHAT?! Come on man! I didnt say...every team has different motivations for doing what they do. You were on twitter pressing refresh! And then you find out you were traded for Thabeet. It's life. Were you surprised? Nah. It was tough trade because in grand scheme of things, I dont make a lot of money for NBA player. I make middle road money. I have a hard contract to match up with for contending teams like Boston and San Antonio. They dont have the assets. I knew I would be tough to trade. Thats just the way salaries break down. We always talk about 50 win season w. Hubie. What do you remember about those? Never forget the night Hubie won COY. That was as pure as it gets. That night was as pure as it gets. Did it bother you when you came back with Houston and only see a couple thousand people in the crowds? I understand Memphis. Memphis is a great basketball town but if there is good basketball, they'll support it. Tigers will say the same. When we were rocking and rolling, we were selling out. This team is getting better and I expect as we get closer to playoffs, we'll have nice crowds. When you came back, you would say it is a bad team? Bad market right now, bad team, yeah. Hit Memphis hard. Who did you call player wise? All my teammates called me. They werent thrilled. Made me feel great. I was the captain. I kept the team together. All my coaches called and left messages. Made me feel great. I want those guys to do well, not too well now though, but good organization. Have great memories there. So plan for you? Do you know what Grizz run? I could get out there right now. You know basic frame stuff being in the league 10 years. It's just basketball. You dont have to guard Randolph now. He's a bull. He's tough. I heard Lionel say today he'll use you a lot as the 4. Rudy was used as the 4. Dont think he likes it. My background is the 4 though. I understand rotations and guarding it. We'll be able to spread the floor. You like the way you fit here? I do. I add an element I dont think they had before. Not the missing piece but I do think the team got better. Western conference opened up. No question. Lakers still the class. Everyone else is ankle turn away from being pedestrian. Last 25 games here, your an injury away from things going bad. You're going to get temporary place here and figure it out then in offseason? Yeah, figure it out then. Hopefully we'll have a season. I cant negotiate though if we lockout. ... Praying for normal FA. You do know you are most beloved figure of this franchise. Never had a player that...you love Memphis and got very involved w/ community. That's hard. Maybe because you were a rookie or what not but...To others it's like a job. I was lucky. When I came here, there were huge needs or places that needed help. I just gave my time and effort. In a town like this who has a low self esteem, it goes a long way. My job is to teach the young guys --hey this is a great town. You can make a great different w/ very little extra effort. You dont have to change the world but do small things here or there and get involved in the community. It's that simple. Basketball wise --you know Lionel Hollins. He's trained to me. We've been through some wars together. I dont see any problems. J-Will here. Getting the band back together. Looking for Trybanski--I want him back. Bring them all back. You said at the PC, they said you own 31 Shane. You said I thought Darko retired it. Admit it, that bothered you that Darko wore your #. Wounds were still fresh. Stung a little bit. ... Darko has actually improved. But at the time, he was known as the human victory cigar. I respect Darko now. When I watched Houston games, you are still diving around the floor, chasing after loose balls. Gotta hurt a little more right? Yeah. Effort still there. Few more ice packs and tylenol after game. You were in China at the time and we couldnt match up the times but Lorenzen Wright killed at the time. Tragic. He was one of the best. He embodied what this city/team is about. Tragedy for anyone to go like that but for him, even more sad. Weird when it's a teammate? It is. Only time you've been through something like that? Yeah. Shane Battier, a Grizzlie again. Looky looky. Found out on twitter! Then cracked a budweiser and pondered life. Alone! With my dogs. What did you do with them? In Houston. Theyre from Memphis. Thanks for coming in. Thanks
He majored in religious studies. I don't think of that as a serious major. If he wasn't drafted nor decide to play overseas, that degree would have gotten him nowhere. Hell those Evangelical RipOff Artests are out of business at his moment.. So can't do that either.
If you want to be honest, we really did. After Game 1, Yao had a bad series. Aaron Brooks was the biggest factor in us winning that series.
Still I don't see how you can say he "isn't intelligent" over one slip up over during an interview. I don't get it but whatever.
A phone call to Battier and that trade might as well be the Mayo trade.... No one knows how much time and decision there was before they pulled the trigger right before the deadline. For all we know, other deals were still in the works and no one's sure if a deal would include who. Maybe Bud/Hill/Martin was being discussed 20 minutes before deadline and Battier might not be traded if they're gone? Morey was obviously talking frantically to other GMs and deals were being made. I counted around 6 deals right at the deadline. You can deal with the exit stuff afterwards, but until 2PM CST as of yesterday, there's work to do.
