Shane Battier believes delaying his NBA career by one year may have cost him around $10 million, but he has no regrets about returning to Duke for his senior season.
Battier had already established himself as one of college basketball’s top players following a strong junior campaign.
Despite having an opportunity to enter the NBA Draft, he felt another season at Duke would better prepare him for the type of career he wanted.
“I had a good junior year. I was All-American, averaged about 19 [points] and probably could have came out then. Honestly, it was more important to me to be an impact player when I got to the league, and I felt like I wasn’t there yet. I was a power forward in college. I shot threes, but I was a stretch four essentially.”
Battier understood that staying in college meant sacrificing an additional year of NBA earnings. However, he prioritized improving his game and becoming capable of contributing immediately once he reached the league.
“I knew if I went to the league, okay, I’m in the league. It probably cost me about $10 million for that one extra year I could have squeaked out. But at the time, it matters to me that I want to start. I want to be a good pro for a long time.’ So that last year of work was really important.”
The decision ultimately resulted in Battier finishing his Duke career with a national championship while giving him another year to develop before turning professional.
“The leap of faith going through that process, I knew for where I wanted to be, I had to do it. But what I learned, my readiness… it was great that we won, absolutely. But you realize it really is about the journey and taking advantage of the opportunity. I was super proud of that decision.”
