NBA Rumors: Miami’s Shane Battier reportedly to retire after season
By Matt Shetler
Whether or not the Miami Heat capture a third consecutive NBA championship, it looks as if Shane Battier has had enough.
Ever since the end of last season, Battier has hinted at retiring following this season. However his latest comments make retirement seem like a slam dunk, as according to Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick, it would take an “act of God,” for the former Duke Blue Devil to return for a 14th NBA season.
Yes. Shane Battier is retiring after season. No more equivocating. "It would take an act of God to change it & that act of God hasn't come."
— Ethan J. Skolnick, 5 Reasons Sports (@EthanJSkolnick) March 28, 2014
Battier is 36 and in the final year of his contract with the Heat and he could very possibly receive an offer to play somewhere next season. But it seems increasingly likely that he’ll choose to hang ‘em up once this current season is finished.
He’s not shooting the ball very well, down 10 percent from three-point range last season, and looks like he has lost a couple steps at the defensive end of the floor.
Battier has hit only 20 percent (10-of-50) of his three-point attempts over his last 20 games. He’s averaged just 16 minutes per contest in the month of March.
The defensive ability has kept Battier in the league so long as he has been pretty limited throughout his career from an offensive perspective. If he can’t defend well, there likely won’t be much interest in him around the league to begin with, although I’m sure the Heat would like to squeeze one more good year out of him.
Battier worked as an analyst for ESPN last summer during the NBA Draft and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him take a television gig in the near future.