At 31, Nicolas Batum joined his third NBA franchise by signing with the Los Angeles Clippers last week. An impressive rebound in one of the favorites for the title, a few days after being released by the Charlotte Hornets who will settle the $ 27 million of his contract. A very enviable situation which has earned criticism from the French international, after 18 complicated months with the Hornets. In an interview with Le Parisien, he puts things in focus.
“My rating was very, very high”
“We could believe, especially in France, that I was finished, he confides. But when the info of the end of my adventure at the Hornets fell, I realized that my rating was still very very We decided to speak with six teams, although the list was much longer. “
He cites the interests of the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, and Clippers, and contacts made by league stars like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Kemba Walker. He finally chose the Californian franchise because of the presence of the coach, Tyronn Lue, whom he rubbed shoulders with in Portland, but also the role of “glue guy”, allowing “to take the pressure off Kawhi Leonard’s shoulders on a fifteen minutes “. “I’m going to do what I know how to do”, he proclaims. “Why, after having spent the last two difficult years, the whole NBA called me, ten minutes after being fired from the Hornets ?, he asks Why? There must be a reason!”
“Of course I can still play!”
He defends himself against the criticisms accompanying his very high contract with the Hornets. “In 2016, I may have been overpaid for what I am, but I had nothing to do with it! When I was offered this contract, it was not really the price I was paying for. had in mind. After that, there were changes in strategy … (…) In fifteen years of career, there are only 18 months when it went wrong … You have to have the necessary perspective when to judge my career. Of course I still know how to play! I am not burnt out as I could hear. “
