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The U.S. Men's Basketball Team is Expected To Win Gold

Aired September 04, 2001 - 08:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. men's basketball team is expected to walk away with the gold again at the Goodwill Games under way in Australia.

And joining me now from Brisbane, 2001 NCAA Player of the Year, now a Memphis Grizzlies, Shane Battier is with us -- his first time playing in the Goodwill.

Shane, how are you doing?

SHANE BATTIER, GOODWILL GAMES NBA PLAYER: I am doing great. How are you doing, Vince?

CELLINI: Real well.

You know what? I just want to know when USA basketball for men is actually going to break a sweat. You guys pounded Mexico and Argentina.

What gives?

BATTIER: Well, we have had a tough go in the first two quarters of each game. And it takes a little while for us to get our flow. But once we finally do, we get out and we play -- pick up our defense and get out and fast break and run and dunk and open up the game from there.

CELLINI: How important is it for you right now getting this international experience and putting that in your back pocket for NBA camp?

BATTIER: Well, it's good for me. It's good for me to come out and play with the Wally Szczerbiaks, the Baron Davises, the Shawn Marions, the elite young players in the NBA and prove to myself that I can hold my own with them. And once I do that, I know it will carry on to training camp come October.

CELLINI: Was there a point when that clicked in and training with guys like Shawn Marion and Kenyon Martin and Wally Szczerbiak where you said, you know what? I belong with these guys. Not that you didn't believe it all along, but you give yourself physical proof when you practice against, you know, players of that magnitude.

BATTIER: Well, it feels good. You always wonder how good you really are. And although I had great success the last four years with Duke, I always wonder how will I be at the next level. And so, it was good for me just to get out here and run around with these guys and fit in, and not only fit in, but play well.

CELLINI: You always seem like a very confident player, but I have to ask you: Going back to the draft, does it still rankle you to be picked No. 6 and behind three high school kids? You're the college basketball player of the year!

BATTIER: Not at all, not at all. I'm really thrilled to be going to Memphis and be a part of a brand-new organization in Memphis. And I think it's a really good start for me.

CELLINI: You know, playing in Memphis will mean that there is a real charge in the crowd, because it's something new. But that also means that you guys have to deliver to keep that kind of love.

BATTIER: Well, I think with the team that we're going to have this year, especially with Jason Williams, the point guard position, with Brevin Knight, and Lorenzo Wright, Paul Gosal from Spain. We have a lot of athletes who can get up and on the floor, and we are going to play a very exciting brand of basketball. And that's half of the NBA right there.

So as long as we can get up in bound and make it exciting for people to watch us, we know that with the knowledgeable fans in Memphis, we'll have great crowds.

CELLINI: Hey, Shane, as a former Dukie, are you keeping an eye on a former North Carolina product, who may or may not return to the NBA -- Michael?

BATTIER: I have my eye open for him, but, you know, it would be fun to play with him. Obviously everyone who has grown up watching the game has watched Michael Jordan and tried to emulate his moves and pretended that they're playing him one-on-one in their driveway. And if you get a chance to be on the same floor with him at the same time is a dream really come true for a lot of us.

CELLINI: Anything interesting happen to you down in Australia -- some sort of an amusing incident that you might be able to share with us or maybe contact with someone -- a native there?

BATTIER: Well, Australia has been wonderful. It's my first time down here. I'm down here with my girlfriend. And I tried a Moreton Bay Bug. It's the only place in the world you can eat Bug. It's a type of lobster/crab. And I wasn't too sure about trying this, especially when they showed it to me at my table. But being the brave soul that I am, I tried it, and it was actually really good.

CELLINI: Oh, OK. I'll take your word for it.

BATTIER: If you're ever in Brisbane, order the Bug.

CELLINI: No, I think I have enough bug experience now through you, Shane. So Cuba is up next. What do you say? Go out there and beat them by 70. Go get them.

BATTIER: We're going to go out and play hard, and we're going to go out and do what we can do to try and put on a good show for the crowd and play an up tempo style. And the first two games we have had, we've seen a lot of success using that system, so we're not going to stop now.

CELLINI: All right. Shane Battier, you're a class act -- best of luck in the Goodwill Games, and we'll see you in the NBA for the Memphis Grizzlies.

BATTIER: All right. Thanks, Vince.

CELLINI: Take care.

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