HoopsHype.com Rumors

Tom Haberstroh: Shane Battier didn't watch Spurs-Grizzlies last night: "I made homemade gnocchi." Twitter @tomhaberstroh

Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Shane Battier 

Shane Battier wouldn't be surprised if Mike Krzyzewski, his coach at Duke, comes back to coach at 3rd Olympics. “No,'' Battier said about not being surprised. "He’s one of the most competitive people I’ve ever been around. That’s what makes him great. And so it’s not surprising me at all to hear that he has interest. Every athlete, every person who’s done this at a high level, after they step away from a really trying time, a really emotional time, says, ‘It’s too much. I can’t climb that mountain again.’ But if you’re far away enough from that mountain, you start that jones, that itch. So it’s not surprising at all.’’ Sulia

Miami Heat, Coaching, USA Basketball, Team USA, Mike Krzyzewski, Shane Battier 

Ethan J. Skolnick: Battier agrees with observation that United Center is louder when Bulls t underdog: "Typical rust belt mentality." Twitter @EthanJSkolnick

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Shane Battier 

Chris Tomasson: Shane Battier: “I like watching Steph Curry. That’s the only guy I’d pay to watch. And LeBron.’’ Twitter @christomasson

Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Shane Battier 

Israel Gutierrez: Derrick Rose coaching up Boozer before shootaround: "If they put Shane Battier on you... run his *ss over." Twitter @IzzyESPN

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Carlos Boozer, Derrick Rose, Shane Battier 

Chris Tomasson: Shane Battier believes LeBron could break Kareem's record of 6 MVPs: “If he stays healthy. If he stay’s healthy, this won’t be his last one" Twitter @christomasson

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Shane Battier 

Ethan J. Skolnick: Asked Battier today about how he would change award voting. He said it should be 1/3 writers, 1/3 players, 1/3 coaches. Makes sense. Twitter @EthanJSkolnick

Miami Heat, Shane Battier 

Shane Battier had stitches to remove and, apparently, too much free time with his razor. The result is, well . . . "I don't know what you call this," the Miami Heat forward said after Tuesday's practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. Oh, they called Battier's Fu Manchu plenty of things. "Hulk Hogan," teammate LeBron James chimed in. "All the Hulk-a-maniacs are going to be coming after him." "That," teammate Chris Bosh said, "is what happens when you've got a layoff, when you aren't playing. Dudes get bored." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Shane Battier 

Battier plans to reach out to Collins, a 12-year veteran, who has played for the Nets, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hawks, Celtics and Wizards. “I support Jason and applaud him,’’ Battier said. “I can only imagine how difficult the decision was to make, that decision to come out. He knows the consequences, but I’m proud of him. Jason is an outstanding guy …. I will just tell him that there’s guys in the league, his brothers, who support him …. In this day and age, it takes a lot of mettle to do what he did.’’ FOXSports Florida

Miami Heat, Jason Collins, Shane Battier 

"Whether he is straight, gay, black, white, from Earth, or from Mars is immaterial," said Miami Heat forward Shane Battier. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Jason Collins, Shane Battier 

With four stitches just below his chin as a result of a collision with Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders in Tuesday's Game 2 of this opening-round playoff series, Battier was a bit scruffier than usual during Thursday's shootaround at the Al McGuire Center at Marquette University. "It's fine, but it's time for a playoff beard," he said with a smile. "A playoff beard is in order." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Larry Sanders, Shane Battier 

LeBron James beat Ray Allen and Mario Chalmers in a long-range shooting contest after a Miami Heat practice on Monday, and demanded they pay their debt with 20 pushups. Very, very shoddy pushups. Shane Battier was wise to stay out of this contest. For The Win

Miami Heat, Ray Allen, LeBron James, Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier 

Mike Dunleavy told a great story about calling best friends Shane Battier and pretending to be Coach K. Sulia

Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Mike Dunleavy, Shane Battier 

“There’s an app you can get that goes right to somebody’s voice mail so you don’t have to let it ring,’’ Dunleavy said. “I called him up a few times pretending I was Coach K and wanted him to do all sorts of stupid stuff… I told him stuff like that shoe endorser, the Chinese company, is not cutting it. I told him to needs to do stuff on the court, like he’s shooting too many 3-pointers or stop taking charges, just to mess with him.’’ Sulia

Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Mike Dunleavy, Shane Battier 

The Miami Heat are the defending NBA champions and look to be favorites to repeat. One of their key players outside of the Big Three has been veteran forward Shane Battier, a defensive presence and threat from the three-point line who played a big role in their 27-game winning streak this season. During that streak, said that he drinks a Bud Light before every game as a ritual. If this new promotional campaign is to be believed, it looks like he’ll never have to buy his own beer again. USA Today

Miami Heat, Shane Battier 

Dwyane Wade LeBron James and Chris Bosh will be in the Miami Heat lineup against the Boston Celtics on Friday, the team announced. The Heat said that forwards Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier will not play. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says Battier has an array of minor aches, and Haslem has a sprained ankle. Even with the Heat's Big Three returning, Friday's game in Miami will be lacking at least some star power. The Celtics plan to play without Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, both of whom are dealing with left ankle soreness. Pierce and Garnett are expected to be back in the lineup on Saturday night in Orlando. "We have back-to-backs and we're trying to avoid back-to-backs, to be honest," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who -- not surprisingly -- hints that the duo likely will sit again with a back-to-back to close the regular season next week. "I just thought this would be a way to do it. A lot of talk didn't go into it." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Injuries, Shane Battier 

To hear LeBron James tell it, Chris Andersen converting his first 3-pointer in more than four years hardly was a shock Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena against the Milwaukee Bucks. James said he's seen it in practice from Birdman, when Ray Allen, James Jones, Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers are testing their 3-point range on game days. "They start shootaround out with knockout," James said of the drill when you attempt to make a shot before the person in line in front of you converts. "Ray, J.J., Shane, Rio and Bird. Bird has been in the finals before, I don't know if he has ever won one before, but he has been in the final with all those great shooters." Andersen's conversion at the shot-clock buzzer lifted him to 3 of 25 from beyond the arc over his career. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Ray Allen, LeBron James, James Jones, Mario Chalmers, Chris Andersen, Shane Battier 

The Professional Basketball Writers Association announced Heat forward Shane Battier was voted winner of the Magic Johnson award, given annually to the player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation with media and fans. Nuggets coach George Karl won the Rudy Tomjanovich award, given annually to the coach who meets the same criteria. Chicago Tribune

Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, George Karl, Shane Battier 

Howard Beck: Shane Battier is 2013 winner of the Magic Johnson Award, presented by Pro Bball Writers Assoc, for his cooperation w/media and fans. Twitter @HowardBeckNYT

Miami Heat, Media, Shane Battier 

Miami Heat forward Shane Battier, who has played several pickup basketball games with women over the years, predicts that the NBA is not far away from having its first female player. "There's no doubt that in our lifetime, there will be a woman NBA player," Battier told ESPN.com after Thursday's Heat practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. ESPN.com

Miami Heat, Shane Battier, Brittney Griner