Shane Battier Prepared to ‘Get a Job’ if NBA Lockout Lingers

Instead of waiting out the NBA lockout by playing hoops overseas (or simply, playing video games at the crib for months on end), Shane Battier tells KILT in Houston that he could go out there and get, like, a “real” 9-to-5 job. Per SRI: “What’s the offseason been like? Have you been involved with the lockout?: ‘I’ve been a conscientious observer of the process. I really haven’t been too involved with the mediators, but I’ve been talking to different representatives and guys in the know in the inner circle and given my two cents. Obviously, it stinks. There’s no way around it. The players feel terrible and it’s a no-win situation. There’s not going to be a winner out of this scenario. Unfortunately it’s the ugly business side of what we do. It’s the side that normally never creeps up, but in times of collective bargaining negotiation, and I’m sure that you guys are sick of reading antitrust law … but it’s the reality of our business.’ What’s it been like to go through the lockout process as a free agent?: ‘Life goes on, it really goes on. I’m fortunate to have played 10 years in the league. I’m secure in who I am. At this point, I’m confident that if the NBA were to never settle, I could go out and get a job and use my brain to provide for my family. That’s allowed me amazing piece of mind to just start thinking about post-basketball, but at the same time be ready for when we do settle, if we settle, to be ready to go.’ What do you say to fans who say they’ve grown disinterested in the NBA due to the lockout and say they won’t come back?: ‘I feel for them. I can’t deny their feelings, but I know that when we do settle, the players will do their best to win back our fans. We have unbelievable fans. Anyone who’s an NBA fan or has been to an NBA game … knows that we share a bond and a passion over basketball. In the end, the game always wins. You can talk about the litigation and the arguments, but basketball is basketball and it’s never going away. We’re hopeful that people don’t lose sight of that.’”