Blue Devil Country

Caleb Foster Asks Duke Basketball Great for Championship Secret

The latest guest to sit down with the Duke basketball sophomore guard knows a thing or two about hanging banners in Durham.

Matt Giles

Duke basketball guard Caleb Foster
Duke basketball guard Caleb Foster / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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Duke basketball recently held Pro Devils Weekend in Durham, welcoming handfuls of the program's former players back to campus. The winningest Blue Devil on hand — make that the winningest Blue Devil of all time — was 2001 national champion and three-time NABC Defensive Player of the Year Shane Battier.

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Battier, who went on to play 13 seasons in the NBA and captured rings with the Miami Heat in 2013 and 2014, appeared on the latest episode of The Brotherhood Podcast.

And the 46-year-old was more than willing to impart his winning wisdom to the show's host in current banner-seeking Blue Devil sophomore guard Caleb Foster.

"It doesn't start when the season starts," Battier explained after Foster asked the versatile forward for tips on getting to cut down April nets. "You know this. It started last spring — you know, you coming back from rehab and rehabbing and getting right. And it's the work that you put in this summer, getting in world-class athletic shape, right?

"Now, you've got a full team here, and you're competing every single day. And it's really just, you know, as one of the leaders and returning players, it's setting the expectation: 'This is what Duke basketball is.' You were around the team last year. So, you know what it feels like to go to Virginia, to go to Carolina, to play nationally ranked games. You know, these young guys have no idea.

"And what makes Duke basketball great and the reason why we had so much success when I was a young player, guys like Trajan Langdon, Steve Wojciechowski, Roshown McLeod, you know, they showed me what it meant to be a Duke basketball player, by the way they carried themselves, by the way they worked, their attitude, the way they supported us, right?

"And so, as a freshman, like, I asked a ton of questions, but I just watched those guys. And I'm like, 'OK, that's what Duke's about.' And so, by the time it was my team, when I was one of the old heads, it was my job to teach [eventual national champion teammates] Mike Dunleavy, Jason Williams, Chris Duhon — 'Hey, man, this is what it means to be a Duke basketball player.'

"So, you're job, and it's a lot of responsibility, is to show these young guys what it really means to put [the Duke jersey] on. And if they can get that, success and wins follow."

ALSO READ: Former Duke Guard Claims He Wanted to Remain in Durham

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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