Reeling From Draft Failure & NCAA Fiasco, RaeQuan Battle Is Consoled by TNT Employee: “Keep Running”

Former Mountaineers’ player RaeQuan Battle gets acknowledged by NBA legend Jamal Crawford. NBA’ two-day draft has been super exciting. Zaccharie Risacher and more players brimming with talents made the brightest headlines capturing attention. However, some players such as Battle’s name weren’t called. But, the 6-5 forward is nowhere close to giving up.

NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Jamal Crawford took to his social media to praise the player. “RaeQuan Battle is a sleeper in this draft. Pro-level shooter right now today!!” Crawford wrote on X. Fans in the comments section also agreed with the Chicago Bulls legend. In response to Battle’s tweet, he doubled down on his statement and wrote, “And you’ll get exactly where you are supposed too. Keep running your race! 💪🏾”

Battle who was thrilled to get a shout-out from the former Chicago Bulls player, wrote, “Nothing has ever been handed. All part of my journey, much love OG! 🤞🏾‼️”

Along with Crawford, there are numerous players who appreciate RaeQuan. Not only for Battle’s unique skill set but also for the impact he has. He fought against the NCAA for one cause helping himself and more than 140 players. Here is what happened.

After Montana State, RaeQuan transferred to West Virginia University. However, he wasn’t allowed to play the first nine games of the season. It was because the NCAA denied his transfer waiver. As per this rule, Battle was required to sit out a season before he could start playing for the Mountaineers until he got a waiver.

RaeQuan Battle struggled with rigid transfer rules

His legal battle pushed the organization to change the transfer rules. In his first game for West Virginia, he delivered 29 points, the most ever by any WVM playing in their first game. He dished out 23 points in his next game.

After overcoming the hurdles, Battle recalled how helping himself and others inspired him too. “That’s why I’m not too upset about things. I was still able to make an impact without even being on the floor. I was able to make a difference,” RaeQuan said to News and Sentinel.

The West Virginia player did not get a chance to showcase his skills at the 2024 NBA Combine. However, he did go through the pre-draft workouts with the Portland Trail Blazers. There might be a chance for Battle to sign a deal as a free agent. Following this, he could go on to show his talent on a G League affiliate or straight into the NBA. With words of encouragement and acknowledgment from TNT analyst Crawford, RaeQuan seems to have fueled his spirits for the next battle ahead. We have to wait and watch how things turn out for RaeQuan.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.