YouTube Gold: One Of Shane Battier’s Greatest Defensive Plays Came Against UNC

As Duke’s Saturday date with UNC draws closer, people all over the Triangle are getting geeked up - and, to be fair, beyond too.

But it’s a little different around here because we live and breathe this stuff 365 days a year. You go to work and a friend there taunts you. The guy at the grocery store taunts you when he sees your hat. Your doctor has Sports Illustrated covers with his favorite team on the walls. If you’re lucky, it might even be your team.

As we’ve mentioned over the last couple of days, there are legendary players, games and plays on both sides. Duke fans will mention the 1961 fight with Art Heyman and, well, UNC, the Robby West Game, the Jeff Capel shot, the Austin Rivers Shot and more.

One that still thrills us is the Shane Battier block.

In 2001, when Duke played UNC in Capel Hill (hehe), Joe Forte stripped Mike Dunleavy at the top of the key and took off for what he assumed would be an uncontested basket.

Nobody told Battier. Watch as he comes streaking down the court, timing his move perfectly. He catches Forte from behind in what Dick Battier calls one of the greatest defensive plays you’ll ever see. Hard to argue really.