Battier says James could have been a Dukie
He’s been a league MVP and a playoffs MVP. He wears the ring and he’s considered the best player in the NBA today.
All of that is great. But imagine how good LeBron James must feel to know he could have been a success playing at Duke.
James, of course, did not play at any college and says he would have entered Ohio State if not the pros. But after winning two gold medals with Mike Krzyzewski there is no college coach he is as close to these days.
Akron coach Keith Dambrot,, who coached James at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary told the New York Times that the Duke coach took “one of the greatest talents in the world, maybe ever, and he got him to play defense like a guy at Duke.”
Current Heat teammate and former Duke star Shane Battier told George Richards of the Miami Herald just how high praise he thought that was.
“You know what? LeBron could have played at Duke, and I don’t say that about a lot of guys,” Battier said with a laugh. “There are a lot of All-Stars who couldn’t have played at Duke. LeBron is one of the few All-Stars who could have played there and survived. You have to be mentally tough. You have to know the game — you can’t be some idiot out there, some dummy running around. You have to play for the team and be selfless. Those are all LeBron James qualities.”
… [For more on Shane Battier says LeBron James could have been a Dukie, click here.]
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