“I pushed my wife away, I pushed my kids away, I was a jerk” – Battier admits depression almost ruined his life after he retired from the NBA originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Basketball was everything to Shane Battier, and so when his career ended, Battier was lost. Although Shane had everything he needed to live comfortably for the rest of his life — money, fame, friends and family — not being part of a team and competing for a greater goal almost drove him crazy and ruined everything he had worked so hard for.

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It all began during his final year in the NBA when Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra started sitting him on the bench during the fourth quarter of games. In the 2014 Playoffs, Battier averaged just 2.3 points per game in 12.6 minutes of playing time. It was worse in the 2014 NBA Finals, where the former Blue Devil played just 33 minutes and scored only five points.

“Nothing was worse to me than sitting me in crunch time,” admitted Battier during an appearance on the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast. “That was my identity. It hurt me to my core. That’s when I knew I was done. I was embarrassed, and I checked out. And so when I retired, I was very cynical. And I was so sad, but I was also very cynical.”

Shane struggled after retirement

And so, after being “told without being told” that the Heat’s best chances to win would be with him on the bench rather than on the court, Battier retired following Miami’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals. Immediately, he an offer from ESPN to be one of the network’s men’s college basketball analysts.

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Looking back, Shane says that was a big mistake.

Although the job was still about basketball, it wasn’t the one the 6’8″forward was used to and not the one he truly wanted. Without the passion for what he was doing, Battier struggled on TV and was criticized. Instead of finding the relevance and purpose that he was looking for in retirement, it only made his internal struggles worse to the point that they were starting to affect his personal relationships.

“I shut people out,” Shane continued. “I was probably battling depression. I didn’t know what depression was. I never had this feeling before. But feeling very isolated. I didn’t feel anyone understood what I was going through. I felt very alone, and I pushed people away. I pushed my wife away; I pushed my kids away. And I was just a jerk. And I wasn’t like doing destructive things, It wasn’t like I was drinking every night. But I was emotionally unavailable. And I was hurt, and I was pissed off. I had all these emotions I had never associated with basketball.”

Related: “God, if you let me get through this, I won’t play no more” – Larry Bird describes the moment that made him retire for good

Being part of a basketball team again

Shane quit ESPN towards the end of 2015, and over a year later, the Heat hired him as Director of Basketball Development and Analytics. Suddenly, with an opportunity to be part of a team — his former NBA team at that — and compete for a championship, even though in a different capacity, Battier started to find his way back before his depression destroyed his life.

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However, in a surprise move, the Birmingham native resigned last year and opted to take a non-basketball position as strategic assistant to Heat CEO and close friend Nick Arison. Shane and his family also left Florida to start a new life in Charlotte. However, it wasn’t because of anything negative; it was because Battier was ready to explore new things.

“There is so much in life to experience and try my hand at,” he said. “So many interesting people around the world. I’m so fascinated about learning. I turned 46, and I feel I have so much to learn and have so much to do in the world still. I needed to go out and explore, and meet and learn. I wanted to learn new industries. It sounds very strange because I love basketball. For me to be truly happy, that’s what I need to do.”

Aside from him and his wife Heidi running his “Battier Take Charge” foundation, Shane has been busy being a professional speaker, podcast host, and most importantly, a sports dad to 16-year-old Zeke, whom he enrolled at Charlotte’s Providence Day School and is now a 6’7″ promising talent. Shane’s 13-year-old daughter, Eloise, is also a youth soccer player in Charlotte, so it’s safe to say Battier has his life back and is living it to the fullest.

Related: “I would not be able to sleep” – Shane Battier calls out players in the NBA today for missing playoff games

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.

Tom Barnett’s love for hockey is infectious.

Barnett is so passionate about the game that he wants to inspire kids throughout upstate New York to love hockey as much as he does.

In 2001, Barnett created the Buffalo Shamrocks, a youth recreational hockey club. More than two decades later, the organization continues to thrive while focusing on its core values of sportsmanship, team play and personal responsibility. 

Thanks to his tireless efforts, Barnett is being recognized with the Wm. Thayer Tutt Award, presented annually by USA Hockey to a volunteer, who, during many years of service, has displayed a selfless dedication to the enhancement of ice hockey at the grassroots level in America.

“When I get up on Saturday and Sunday morning to go to the rink and coach, I can’t get in my car fast enough,” Barnett said. “It’s the same exact feeling I had when I was 5 and I couldn’t wait to step onto that sheet of ice. This is such an organizational award and honors everyone who helped us. We have a lot of unbelievable coaches and people who believe in the program and their selflessness and commitment to our mission is incredible.”

The Wm. Thayer Tutt Award is the top volunteer honor awarded by USA Hockey each season. It is named in honor of the late Wm. Thayer Tutt, who served as president of USA Hockey from 1972 to 1986.

“With the help of wonderful people, I was able to start the Buffalo Shamrocks 25 years ago, and it has taken a lot of hard work, but in no way do you start a program to be recognized for this,” Barnett said. “It’s an amazing honor.”

Barnett created the Shamrocks due to his dissatisfaction with other programs in the area while his sons Oliver and Cloogie started playing the game. Barnett sought a more nurturing, positive hockey experience intended to keep kids involved in the game longer.

Barnett initially faced some criticism for starting his own organization, as detractors said it wouldn’t last long once Oliver and Cloogie aged out of the program. More than 15 years later, Barnett is still on the ice every week with the Shamrocks.

“I did this for the community,” Barnett said. “Now, everyone is trying to win the national championship when they’re 7 years old. That’s cool, but the Shamrocks have this unusual little world that is very much a throwback to what hockey always used to be. It took a lot of people and a lot of courage to take a leap of faith and say that they wanted to try something different.”

Tom Barnett instilled that lifelong passion of the game in his son Oliver.

“It was never about chasing anything,” Oliver Barnett said. “You just couldn’t wait to get to the rink and hang out with your buddies. We grew up with it, and to a large extent, it’s part of our identity.”

The Shamrocks started with 30 players in 2001. The program now features more than 300 players with a waiting list. There are eight different levels of play, including Learn to Skate all the way to Bantam, girls hockey, an eight-team in-house league and more.

Sportsmanship, team play, personal responsibility and positive attitudes are the only goals throughout the organization.

“When you’re not focused on winning, the winning takes care of itself,” Tom Barnett said. “We want to teach respect, making sure the locker room is clean, respecting the Zamboni driver, respecting teammates and coaches … we want the kids to come to the rink and just have a blast playing the game.”

This isn’t the first time Barnett and the Shamrocks have been recognized for their efforts. In 2009, Barnett and the entire organization earned the inaugural Mark Messier Youth Leadership Award. The award was created to reward youth hockey players or mentors for their leadership and contributions to youth sports and education. 

The Shamrocks had a chance to spend the day with Messier during Game 3 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh’s old Civic Arena.

“We were very new, we were building and growing and when that happened, there was a sense that maybe something special was going on here,” Tom Barnett said. “Mark left an indelible mark on our program.”

In addition to founding the Shamrocks, Barnett is in the fashion business. He has owned a clothing store for more than 35 years and now has locations in Buffalo, Washington D.C. and Beverly Hills. Throughout the week, Barnett designs clothing, suits and more for clients, which has included Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson, Tage Thompson, and other top players throughout the NHL.

On the weekends, Barnett is on the ice with the Shamrocks.

“I’ve been fortunate to revolve my life around the two things that I love to do, and that’s fashion and hockey,” Barnett said. “If you’re doing what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life, and it’s not work to me.”

Barnett’s dedication to hockey shines through, particularly when he’s on the rink at 6 a.m. on the weekends with the Learn to Skate Shamrocks. Barnett, who recently celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary, said his wife, Lisa, is the “glue” that holds it all together.

Barnett will ultimately receive the recognition for the Wm. Thayer Tutt Award, but he would rather spotlight the organization and what it took to reach this point. 

“He’s driven and his passion is contagious,” Oliver Barnett said. “My dad is someone who leads by example and has time for everybody at the rink. He’s so detail-oriented, he takes so much pride in his work, and he takes care of everyone around him. You can feel it — you want to be around it and it’s certainly something that has led to success in anything he’s set out to accomplish.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.

Gerold W. Finckler, born April 1st, 1932, formerly of Superior, Wisconsin, passed away in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 2nd, 2025, at the age of 93.  He was active in all sports in Superior, and even coached youth football, basketball, and baseball.  He was a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan and loved golfing.  He excelled at golf, achieving three holes-in-one.  In Superior, he was a member of Central United Methodist Church.

Gerold worked for the Superior Refinery (Murphy Oil) in Superior and was transferred to El Dorado, Arkansas in 1977, where he and his wife, Dorothy, spent many happy years.  Gerold started working for Murphy Oil in March 1962, and retired on October 31st, 1992 after serving 31 years with the company.  In 2012, they moved to Broken Arrow, OK.  He played a lot of golf and also did woodworking projects.

Gerold is survived by his loving wife, Dorothy, with whom he would have celebrated 72 years of marriage on June 4th.  He is also survived by: his son, Gerold W. Finckler Jr. of Broken Arrow, OK; his daughter, Terri L. (Tom) Kaiser of Hayden, Idaho; sister, Delores Hintz; and grandchildren, Aaron and Amanda Kaiser; great grandchildren, Brett and Bailey Kaiser.

Gerold was preceded in death by: his parents, Frank and Gladys Finckler; and brothers, Charles and Elmer Finckler.

Gerold will be buried in Superior, Wisconsin at a later date.  Moore Southlawn 918-663-2233 share memories at www.moorefuneral.com

The Israeli sports world mourned St. Sgt.-Maj.Yoav Raver on Friday, who fell in battle alongside three other IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip. 

CRYSTAL FALLS — School is out for summer and the Missoula Children’s Theatre is at the Crystal Theatre next week organizing a production of “Red Riding Hood.”

Under the leadership of trained theatre majors, a five-day workshop Monday through Thursday will culminate in two performances, at 7 p.m. Friday, June 13, and 2 p.m. Saturday, June 14.

The free workshop is open to students who have completed first through 12th grades. In-person registration and casting of characters will begin at 10 a.m. Monday in Stage Left.

Rehearsals will be 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; actors are asked to bring their own lunch.

Crystal Theatre has provided this experience for area youth without fee since 2016.

Tour actors/directors for this production are Abigail Marine and Sarah Lindsay Merriman. A native of Oregon, Marine studied music education and opera at Portland State University. Her favorite stage credits include Princess Pamina in “The Magic Flute” and the Fairy Godmother in “Cinderella.” She made her stage debut at age 5 in an MCT production of “The Little Mermaid.”

Like her partner, Merriman is thrilled to be touring with the Missoula Children’s Theatre. A lover of mountains and the outdoors, she hails from Palmyra, Va., and recently graduated from Radford University with double majors in music and theatre.

Some of her favorite credits include Janet Van DeGraff in “The Drowsy Chaperone,” Cassandra in “The Trojan Women,” and The Little Fish in The “Rainbow Fish Musical.”

“Red Riding Hood” is adapted from the classic tale and musically arranged by Michael McGill, executive director of Missoula Children’s Theatre. Organized in 1970, the nation’s largest touring children’s theater company aspires to help children and adults develop lifelong skills while enriching communities worldwide.

“Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house she goes,” McGill says. “‘Red Riding Hood’ and her pals try to stay on the straight and narrow path. The Big Bad Wolf, who is not so bad after all, and a friendly Forest Ranger urge them along, for in the Shadows lurk diversions and a sinister surprise or two.”

McGill continues, “And we can’t have a wolf tale without Three Little Pigs and even a Boy Who Cries … you guessed it. With help from her family and a loyal young locksmith, Red finds her Grandma and a whole lot more.”

The audience is sure to find a basket-full of delightful entertainment. Tickets for the two performances are $10 for adults and $5 for children, sold only at the door. Actors in the production will receive two complimentary tickets for guests.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Texas foster care students are defying statistics with only 63% of foster youth graduating compared to the state average of 90%.

“Actually I’m really proud because I didn’t, to this day I never thought I would actually walk the stage or make it with all the thoughts I had in my mind,” said Cortney Cantu, one of a dozen foster care students celebrating their graduation.

Foster youth beat the odds, celebrate high school graduation

Cantu’s cap tells her story: “If you knew my story, you would be proud.”

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services hosted their annual graduates reception, honoring high school graduates from Nueces and Webb County who have overcome significant challenges in the foster care system.

“I was moving around a lot. Five different high schools… But out of everything I learned one thing, I learned that no matter how hard it gets, as long as I don’t give up, I can do it,” said Devlin De Santiago, another graduate being honored.

Tony Jaramillo

De Santiago says the hardships made him more resilient.

“Four months ago, I was like, this high school doesn’t want me in here. I just got out of CPS, I don’t have a lot of money in my pocket. But I did it anyways,” De Santiago said.

For these graduates, this is just the beginning. Texas covers tuition and fees at state colleges for former foster youth, even up to a law degree or medical degree, opening doors to higher education that might otherwise remain closed.

Cantu hasn’t chosen a major yet but is considering becoming a nail technician.

Tony Jaramillo

“I just can’t wait. I really can’t wait. I’m just glad I’m out and I just can’t wait to move on with my next chapter,” Cantu said.

De Santiago is exploring a career as a dialysis nurse.

“Anything you do in life later on is gonna be for you and for nobody else,” de Santiago said.

When KRIS6 News asked what message they would share with other foster youth who might be struggling, Cantu offered encouragement.

“I would say stay focused, and don’t worry about anybody else. Just worry about you. Fight, push,” Cantu said.

De Santiago’s advice was equally direct: “So don’t give up unless you want to fail yourself.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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