HoopsHype.com Rumors

Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert is not backing down from the Miami Heat, and he's not backing down from his Twitter comment, accusing Shane Battier of a deliberate knee to Hibbert's midsection. At the Pacers' Friday morning shootaround, he stood by his tweet. "I'm just going to be there to protect the paint," Hibbert said. "I wasn't whining. I was just saying it was a play that I personally thought it wasn't a regular shooting motion for a layup. … No matter what I'm going to be there. It's playoff basketball. We're tough guys. We'll keep playing. "I read something where someone said it was inadvertent. I was calling shenanigans on that." USA Today Sports

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Roy Hibbert, Shane Battier 

Chris Tomasson: A day after Roy Hibbert tweet Shane Battier said not talking before a game for 1st time I know of this season Twitter @christomasson

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Roy Hibbert, Shane Battier 

Jeff Zillgitt: Heat's Shane Battier was not available after shootaround to address Roy Hibbert's claim that knee to midsection was on purpose. Twitter @JeffZillgitt

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Roy Hibbert, Shane Battier 

Tom Haberstroh: Hibbert tweeted last night because he read someone call Battier's play 'inadvertent.' Hibbert: "That's bulls---." Twitter @tomhaberstroh

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Roy Hibbert, Shane Battier 

Stefan Bondy: Hibbert on if Battier does it again, "I have no problem putting my nuts in line of fire. ...They pay me all this money, I got to be there." Twitter @NYDNInterNets

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Roy Hibbert, Shane Battier 

He's the prototypical energy-and-effort guy off the bench, which is what Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was convinced his team needed. So he pestered Heat president Pat Riley for years about trying to bring Andersen — who worked out for the club as a non-drafted, non-tattooed free agent a decade or so ago — into the mix. "He's one of a kind," Heat forward Shane Battier said. "I've never had a teammate like him. But he's a great teammate." FOXnews.com

Miami Heat, Free Agency, Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra, Shane Battier 

Roy Hibbert: U can knee or kick me every time u drive 2the rim. Ill be there 2protect the rim. That wasn't inadvertent. Battier knew what he was doing Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Roy Hibbert, Shane Battier 

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