Shane Battier is often referred to as one of the finest role players of his era.
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The defensive specialist was a coveted player and was part of two championship-winning rosters. Battier was a two-time All-Defensive selection and even won the Teammate of the Year title in 2014.
Battier was a stud coming out of college in 2001. The former Duke Blue Devil was the consensus National College Player of the Year and had his #31 retired by the prestigious program.
Also read: Duke players in the NBA: How many players in the NBA today have attended Duke University?
Battier was often tasked by his coaches with the toughest assignment defensively. As a result, Battier’s methods as a successful defender were often discussed widely in the league. Shane Battier’s meticulous methods of preparation for assignments were league renowned.
One of Battier’s most famous tactics was the “hand in face” approach he adopted. Particularly while facing off against the late great Kobe Bryant. While success wasn’t a guarantee, Battier’s approach was novel and caught the eye.
What was Battier’s objective with the “hand in face” approach on Kobe?
Kobe Bryant as we are all aware was a shoot-first guard. You don’t drop 81 points in a game being shot shy.
However, this was often seen as a weakness of the Lakers superstar too. Kobe’s often wild tendency to go “hero” was by far the loudest critique he received across his career.
And according to Battier, who took hours preparing for Kobe, there was a specific flaw too. Kobe’s affection for the long two.
When executed well, Kobe’s long turnaround jumpers were a piece of art. However, this wasn’t always or even majorly the case. Bryant’s inefficiency from such range was news in the league.
Battier made this his MO. The former Rockets and Heat star adopted the “hand in face” approach to force Kobe to take long twos rather than carry on with drives. Battier was of the belief that Kobe scoring or not wasn’t his concern, making him take the worst possible shot was.
Both parties won their accolades and got to wear well-earned rings. Success is always relative, and it seems like both won the battle while losing the occasional wars against each other.
