<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It is really something to see how Shane Battier is beloved here. As the Rockets made their way to the court for warmups, a bed sheet hung from the wall with the message, "Welcome Back Shane.' Three girls courtside wearing shirts with the words, "We", "Miss" and "Shane," shrieked when he took the floor. When he was introduced, the ovation was louder than for any of the Grizzlies. (Pau Gasol, who became the franchise field goal leader on Tuesday, was not booed as he has been, but there were few cheers.) They did not give out posters of Battier in Memphis as they did when the Rockets were in town in November, but clearly he had not been forgotten.</div> Source
<div class="quote_poster">Pakman Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Man, thats total respect. Its just impossible to not like Battier.</div> Don't tell that to Tar Heel fans. Anyway, yeah, I've been reluctant to make a post in this thread for a while out of fear of getting roasted by Sir Desmond, but the fact of the matter is that Battier truly was invaluable in the community. Everyone knew who he was way before they knew who any of the other players were, despite Battier not being the flashiest or highest scoring player out there. He still does commercials in Memphis for hospitals, charities, etc.; my mom actually thinks he still plays for the Grizzlies. He's just an all-around great guy who was very personable and loved getting to know the fans. There'll never be another one like him. I think I speak for the entire city when I say: **** you Jerry West!
I was shattered to lose Shane, but i'm happy with Rudy and am confident it'll prove to be a good trade down the line. I wished Shane all the best when he left, and i still do. Wonderful bloke, and great competitor.
