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31 MAR 2001: Duke University forward Shane Battier (31) goes over University of Maryland forward.center Lonny Baxter (35) to win a jump ball call during the Division 1 semifinal game of the Men's Final Four Basketball Championship held at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN. Duke defeated Maryland 95-84 to advance to the Championship game. Brian Gadbery/NCAA Photos via Getty Images.DIGITAL IMAGE ONLY | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
If you asked people who their favorite Duke Basketball player is, you’d get some very different answers.
Fans who saw Art Heyman play might pick him. People might pick Johnny Dawkins, too.
More recently, we have a ton of players to choose from: JJ Redick, Kyrie Irving, Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Cameron Boozer, to name a few.
It’s a smorgasbord!
However, if you wanted to pick one guy who sort of sums up what most of us like in Duke Basketball, you’d have a hard time beating Shane Battier.
C’mon…say it with us…Who’s your Daddy? Battier! Who’s your Daddy? Battier! Who’s your Daddy? Battier!
Wow, that felt good.
Battier was sort of the ultimate Dukie. He was talented, to be sure – he had a long NBA career, culminating with rings in 2012 and 2013 – but he is also wicked smart and a great interview.
Once, when Duke had briefly fallen out of first place, Battier was asked how it felt to be back on top. His answer?
“Normal.”
His Duke career culminated with the 2001 NCAA championship, and his play in that game was surreal. The old saying is that someone “left nothing on the court.” In his case, that was totally true. We’ve never seen anyone play harder than Battier in the 2001 title game.
So on top of his many other good qualities, Battier is a superb leader. Duke’s had many great players, as noted, but no one has had his combination of leadership, quiet charisma, confidence, and passion.
Battier was truly one of a kind.
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