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Former 76ers Forward Nicolas Batum Calls It a Career
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- Former 76ers Forward Nicolas Batum Calls It a Career
(USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect)
Another NBA great is calling it a career.
Former Philadelphia 76ers forward Nicolas Batum has officially retired from the NBA.
Batum played 18 seasons in the NBA, playing for multiple teams; most of his career was spent with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Charlotte Hornets , with the Los Angeles Clippers a close third. In his lone season with the 76ers, Batum appeared in 57 games and averaged 5.5 points on 46 percent shooting and 32 percent from the three-point line. Batum was well-known for being a prominent defender and having a volatile shooting stroke from deep.
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Batum spent most of his career as a role player, and he played his role perfectly. Hence why he was able to have a long, sustainable career. Batum averaged 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists for his career.
In his five years in Charlotte, he had some of his best years. Not many of them resulted in playoff appearances, but he managed to finish three of his five seasons averaging double-digit points.
When he was sent to the Clippers, he averaged over 20 minutes per game but never managed to average over ten points in a season. He did, however, make some timely shots for Philadelphia in 2023, where he managed to help the team get to the second round before losing to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Batum had most of his basketball success overseas playing for France. In his international career, he played for his country for 15 years and helped lead them to the gold game against the USA in 2024. Prior to making it to the NBA, he had a short stint in the EuroLeague for Le Mans and SLUC Nancy.
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His best year playing for France was in 2014, when he averaged 14.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. While it was his best season, it did not result in a gold medal. Instead, they won bronze after defeating Lithuania. Batum finishes off his Olympic career winning two silver medals and a bronze.
Those who don't know Batum will remember him for his comments regarding the USA in the Court of Gold documentary by Netflix. In the film, he criticized the US for their lack of camaraderie and said they can't win because they haven't played together as long as Batum and his teammates have. This comment ultimately backfired as they were proven wrong in the end and lost to the USA.
Batum has been a tremendous player and could one day be in the Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game.
