Nicolas Batum has called it a career. The veteran forward announced his retirement from professional basketball on Monday in a social media video filmed with his son Ayden, 10, closing one of the longest careers in recent French basketball history.
“I decided to retire from basketball for several reasons,” Batum told his son in the video. “I want to come home and be with you.”
Eighteen seasons across five franchises
Selected 25th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft, Batum spent 18 seasons in the league, suiting up for the Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers (two separate stints) and Philadelphia 76ers. He finished with career averages of 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, shooting 37.1% from three-point range.
His value was never captured fully by statistics. A prototypical 3-and-D wing, Batum could guard two through four on any given night and run secondary offense from the high post. Teams kept him on rosters until he was 37 not out of loyalty alone, but because he remained useful.
France, Paris 2024, and a silver medal at home
Beyond his NBA tenure, Batum was a fixture of the French national team for 15 years. The crowning moment came on his home soil: a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where France fell to Team USA in a final that packed the Accor Arena. He retired from international play after that summer.
No franchise has announced a retirement ceremony at the time of publication. Batum, 37, leaves the game on his own terms – something far from guaranteed across two decades in a league that moves faster every year.
Source: ESPN
