Chat Transcript: Rocket Forward Shane Battier

Rocket Fans got to know him even better on July 28, as Battier chatted live with fans on Rockets.com.

The Rockets completed a trade for Battier on July 12 because he is a proven veteran who could help the franchise return to the playoffs. He is one of the NBA's best defenders and has an excellent shooting touch.

Battier, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, joins the Rockets after five seasons in Memphis. He is the Grizzlies? all-time leader in games played (396) and steals (507). He has averaged 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game over his career. Last season, he knocked down 48.8 percent of shots, including 39.4 percent of his three-point attempts.

Check out what Shane had to say about USA Basketball, the Rockets new lineup and much much more.

William(Kennesaw): Hey shane,what was your reaction when you heard you got traded to houston?

Shane Battier: My initial reaction was shock. This is the first time I got traded, and after five years in Memphis, I thought I'd be there for a long time. But after the initial shock, I then realized that I was coming to a good situation with a winning team, a contending team.

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Marco (corpus christi): what do you bring to the rockets line-up? what are the challenges you see ahead in your first year as a rocket?

Shane Battier: I believe I can bring consistency. I try to give a great effort every single night, I don't take nights off. I also think I can bring some tough defense and intelligent play to this team. My biggest challenge will be to learn how to play off the two superstars here in Yao and Tracy.

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james (honolulu): shane! i was so excited when we traded for you, no disrespect to rudy but you're a proven winner and i think at times last season we missed that attitude. i wanted to know what position jeff told you you'd be playing? i hope PF cuz that'll really help us space the floor more for yao

Shane Battier: I talked with Coach Van Gundy and he was excited about the flexibility we have in our lineup with my addition. He talked about playing me at the small forward, sometimes, where I can defend even shooting guards and he discussed me playing the more traditional power forward slot too.

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Will (Rockville): Shane, How excited are you to be trying out for the USA team?

Shane Battier: It's one of the biggest honors and thrills of my life. To play with guys like LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul...it's a basketball player's dream. I living the dream.

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Lt George Dupedus (Iraq, via Austin Texas): Hey Shane, what was it like getting a visit from the troops the other day, does it make you even more motivated to win a gold medal in Japan?

Shane Battier: We had a very touching, emotional meeting with the troops who had just returned from combat. It made me even more proud to represent our country, which is the greatest country on earth. We want to win the gold, not just for the people back in the states, but especially for all the servicemen and women representing us all over the globe.

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Omai (Salt Lake City, UT): Shane, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. I want to know what type of impact Coach K made in your life while you were at Duke? What lessons did you learn from him, and how have those helped you through your life both on and off the court?

Shane Battier: He taught me how to be a responsible man, on and off the court. He taught me not to be about making excuses. It was really good for me, to have as a coach, a man who extolled those virtues.

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Christian Houston TX: Is the food in Houston better than the food in memphis?

Shane Battier: Ha-ha. (Laughing) Oh, I haven't spent too much time in Houston yet, only about 72 hours, so I can't say. But I have heard that the only city in the country that has more restaurants is NYC, so I'm excited about that.

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Alex (Union City, NJ): Who was your favorite team growing up? and did you hope that one day you will play for them? Good luck in Houston.

Shane Battier: Thank you. My favorite team growing up was the Detroit Pistons, I was a huge Bad Boys fan, growing up in Detroit obviously. Every kid playing in their driveway, dreams about playing for their hometown team.

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Rick (Philly): How does it feel to play alongside tmac and You ming. everybody thought that Stromile Swift was the answer to houston problem. How do u differ from Stromile and what will u bring to this team

Shane Battier: I'm very, very, very excited to play with those two superstars. Both Yao and T-Mac are capable of single-handedly carrying a team. That's rare. I don't profess to be the saviour of this team, but I think I can be the "intangible" guy this team has been looking for the past few years.

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Miranda (Cincinnati, Ohio): What is the most important thing you would tell younger players about surviving in the NBA?

Shane Battier: You must take care of your body. You must eat right, get your rest. I like massages. Ha-ha (Laughing). But really, you can take of things on the court, if you don't take care of your body off the court. And it's something that not every player does.

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Kamil (Houston): yo shane wats up man? are u ready for houston? can u show us the light of the playoffs?

Shane Battier: I'm very excited about going to Houston and I think we have a great opportunity, if we stay healthy, to contend for a playoff spot in the West. And not only contend for a playoff spot, but to make some noise in the playoffs.

Shane Battier: I'd like to thank eveyrone for the questions today. I look forward to making many fans in Houston and helping the Rockets to win games. Thank you and Go Rockets!