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NBA news: Nicolas Batum thanks all former teams after retirement
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- NBA news: Nicolas Batum thanks all former teams after retirement
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Forward Nicolas Batum was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers from French pro team Le Mans Sarthe with the 25th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and went on to have a strong career. Batum announced his retirement in an emotional video with son Ayden , putting an end to a memorable 18-year NB journey before going on to thank his former teams on social media.
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Batum, who called his final season "weird" but also "fun," averaged four points per game with the Clippers in 2025-26. He sent his love to Clipper Nation, thanking them for six years.
Batum also thanked the Philadelphia 76ers , calling his son the number one Tyrese Maxey fan.
Batum appeared to get a bit choked up talking about the team that drafted him, the Portland Trail Blazers .
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Batum also thanked two French clubs , putting a bow on the end of his professional basketball career. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound small forward averaged 9.6 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and 3.0 assists per game during his pro career but did not win an NBA championship or gold medal.
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He averaged a career-best 12.1 points per game with the Charlotte Hornets , for whom he played five seasons. He was known as a long, athletic and rangy defender with a high basketball IQ who also shot well from three-point range, finishing with a career shooting percentage of 37.1% from beyond the arc.
Batum will be missed as a player who was well known and respected worldwide. Batum first revealed his retirement plans in May 2025 and now has a chance to move on to a different calling in life. He helped pave the way for players from his native France, and did it with dignity and class while bringing a positive attitude to the NBA for nearly 20 years. The Clippers, and NBA fans, will miss him, but it's time for Batum to try his hand at something else.
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