Shane Battier has a hilarious reason for picking LeBron James over Michael Jordan. During a recent appearance on The Draymond Green Show, Battier revealed there was something LeBron did twice that Jordan could have never done.
“As good as you think he was, he was that much better,” Battier said. “I am biased, I know this. People were saying LeBron or MJ. I said, ‘You know what, LeBron did something twice that I don’t think Michael Jordan could ever do once. He won two NBA titles with Shane Battier as a starting forward, alright?’ I love Mike, one of the greatest of all time, but LeBron did it twice with me as his buma** power forward and dragged me across the finish line.”
Battier says that speaks to how great LeBron is. The 45-year-old then stated that teams had no answer for James when he was in his prime.
“The force, the intelligence. He didn’t have a weakness when he was in his prime,” Battier continued. “He is still playing amazing now. But, I mean, there was no answer for him, and he was like a queen on the chess board and just do everything.”
"LeBron did something twice, that I don't think Jordan could ever do once…"@ShaneBattier with a unique angle into how special @KingJames is 🤣👀 @Money23Green pic.twitter.com/z0IXO5PCsy
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) February 15, 2024
Battier also shared that as great a player as James was, he was an even better teammate. These two were together on the Miami Heat from 2011 to 2014 and went to the Finals in all three of those seasons. They won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, with Battier primarily being a starter on that first title-winning team.
He was toward the end of his career by the time he joined the Heat in 2011, but Battier still proved to be a great addition. He was the perfect fit next to the likes of LeBron and Dwyane Wade, as he was a great 3-and-D player.
Battier’s finest hour perhaps came in Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, as he had 18 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal while going 6-8 from beyond the arc. In all in his three seasons with the Heat, he averaged 5.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game.
He was by no means one of the best players in the game, but Battier is underselling himself with those comments. Plenty of teams in the league then and even now, would love to have a player like him among their ranks.
Shane Battier Knew The 2011-12 Heat Would Win The Title On Opening Night
After successful stints with the Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies in his career, Battier was a free agent in 2011. He decided Miami was the place for him to go, and Battier sensed on ring night in Dallas that the Heat would win the 2012 NBA title.
“And I’m like, huh, I have never won a championship. They’re going to win a championship. I should go to Miami. And that was my thinking. And so when I got there, I think they learned a lot and they really got humbled by Dallas and the edge that that team had going back the next year.”
“I’ve never seen a team like that. I’ll never forget ring night. It was after the lockout. We’re back in the tunnel back there in Dallas and you could just see them. Everyone is just so angry and like the edge you could feel just like, oh man, I look around, I’m like, oh man, we winning this. We are winning this.”
Dallas had pulled off one of the greatest upsets in NBA history by beating Miami in six games in the 2011 NBA Finals. The Heat were desperate to make amends and after beating the Mavericks 105-94 on opening night, they never looked back.
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