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HE MAY be an instantly recognisable sports star across America but former NBA Basketball champion Shane Battier passed through Killarney almost anonymously last week. His towering presence of 6 foot 8 inches certainly made him stand out when he visited The Porterhouse on Plunkett Street with a group of golfing friends but it is safe to assume that most of the locals there didn't have a clue who he was. Another group of Americans dining there did recognise him and alerted a staff member about the presence of a sports celebrity in the house. Despite enjoying his low-profile visit to Killarney, Shane kindly obliged to have his photo taken with Porterhouse staff members.

Shane Battier is best known for his role on the all-conquering Miami Heat team that won back-to-back NBA Championship titles in 2012 and 2013. His former teammate and friend LeBron James is a global superstar and the greatest player in the world. Other famous players on that successful Miami team included Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen.

Battier (38) retired from a glittering NBA career after the 2014 finals. He is also well remembered for his outstanding college career at Duke University, where he led his team to the 2001 National Championship under the guidance of legendary Duke coach and USA Olympics team coach Mike Krzyzewski ("Coach K").
Unfortunately it appears that Shane had left town by the time word filtered through to many of the local basketball enthusiasts about his visit.

He is actually quite different to the average sports star and may have had some words of wisdom to offer to the news that top-flight basketball will return to Killarney later this year. Apart from his smart play on the court, Battier was once described as the most intelligent player in the NBA and even made a top ten list of the world's smartest athletes. His knowledge and skills from his playing career combine well with his current role as the Miami Heat director of basketball development and analytics.

Shane Battier definitely wasn't the first celebrity to enjoy an anonymous visit to Killarney and he certainly won't be the last. His visit is just one classic
example of Killarney's high ranking as a top global tourist destination. Hopefully the majestic scenery and wonderful hospitality that he enjoyed might inspire him to return again. He might even encourage his friend LeBron to visit!