By Guillaume K. | Sports journalist
At the same time as he began his Olympic preparations with the French team, Nicolas Batum had to make a big decision for his NBA career. He finally signed with the Clippers, whom he knows well, even though he had an astronomical number of offers on the table.
If there’s one thing to remember about Nicolas Batum’s long career, it’s that he’s never as strong as when he’s announced as being near the end. For example, in his final months in Charlotte, many observers had him as one of the worst players in the league due to his huge contract (for the time), but also his disappointing production.
Then when he arrived at the Clippers, in a team with ambition and a clearly defined course, the captain of the French team quickly established himself as a valuable role player. A pattern that was repeated this season after his trade to the Sixers, with in particular an XXL performance during the play-in match against Miami. At 35, Batman remains an excellent basketball player.
Nicolas Batum talks about his NBA rating
This is why, even though his close friends were announcing a potential retirement after the Olympic Games, he decided to extend his adventure in the NBA. He will return to Los Angeles for a little less than 10 million over two years, where he should have the space to express himself on his real position following the departure of Paul George. The decision was in any case carefully considered, because he was not short of offers:
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I had several options on the table. A lot, really. 17 in fact. It’s a good thing, I’m going back with Tyronn Lue in a project that I like. It’s a good thing. There were a lot of discussions with the teams, but I tried to sign fairly quickly. Vincent Collet saw that it was getting on my nerves a bit, I was given permission to make phone calls. It was getting on my nerves a bit and I wanted to be able to move forward calmly.
Nicolas Batum is getting older, but his NBA rating is still high. Free of any contract after his season with the Sixers, the winger was approached by 17 franchises, including some that should be in the title race. But he preferred to play it safe by finding a coach, a city and a project that he loves, which will allow him to end his career in peace. In Philadelphia, we already miss him:
Its been real, Boom Boom Batum. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/TBii3hjwFE
— Dunkadelphia (@PhillyDunk) July 1, 2024
It was a pleasure, Boom Boom Batum 🫡
Some thought Nicolas Batum would retire, but he ended up with 17 offers on the negotiating table. He finally made the choice of his heart by returning to Los Angeles. He knows the team, the coach, enough to end on a high note.
2024-07-05 15:10:00
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