There may be only one Blue Devil competing in the NBA Finals that begin tonight, but not all Duke basketball followers are aboard the Shane train.
Earlier today, we tweeted from our Twitter handle @dukebasketball asking our followers who they support in the NBA Finals. Even though Heat forward Shane Battier is the only former Duke basketball player who will take the court in the series between Miami and Oklahoma City, 38 people replied to the tweet in favor of the Thunder while 24 supported the Heat.
According to this unscientific crowdsourcing, 61% of respondents support Oklahoma City with the remaining 39% favoring Miami. Many of the people who voiced their support for the Thunder also expressed remorse for going against Battier.
@CaptCutty wrote, "@dukebasketball we'd love to see duke legend battier get a ring....but it's KD's time to shine." KD is a reference to the Thunder's Kevin Durant, who led the NBA regular season in scoring with 28.0 points per game.
@James_Ryan9 had a similar sentiment, saying, "@dukebasketball I love battier. But all about OKC tonight, got to go with the youth."
For many others, however, their allegiance to Battier has compelled them to root for the Heat.
@WhySharksMatter tweeted, "@dukebasketball Battier, so I suppose that means the Heat by extension. #DukeInTheNBA."
@Knat420 wrote, "HEAT!!!! I want Battier to get a ring."
This is Battier's eighth trip to the NBA Playoffs although it is his first time in the finals. He made it four times with the Grizzlies (2004-2006, 2011) and three times with the Rockets (2007-2009).
This is his first season with the Miami Heat.
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