At 35 years old and after a final silver dance, for his seventh international medal, Nicolas Batum has decided to draw a line under his team career France. At home, in a dream (but frustrating) Olympic final against Team USA…
” It can't be better [comme fin de carrière] : playing an Olympic final at home, I think that apart from the United States, no host country has managed to do it » he notices very rightly in the new RMC Sport show, Stephen Brunch. ” Finishing on that is something that almost no one can do, it is very complicated and I am very happy of this. »
However, did Nicolas Batum ask himself whether he should leave, despite his continued positive contribution to the game (7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 30 minutes)?
” Yes and no ” he replies, even though an elimination in the group stage would not have changed his mind either. ” Without wanting to be pretentious, I think I have the level and the legs to compete in Eurobasket. next year, but I don't want to compete too much. I'm starting on that and there are people coming behind. I don't want to take the place of certain players. Young people are arriving, a new era is opening: Bilal [Coulibaly] is here, Zaccharie [Risacher] arrives, so It's up to them to take up the torch NOW. […] In any case, it was important to make way for the new generation.. »
“Saddened” by the departure of Vincent Collet, but “not worried” about the future
Besides Nicolas Batum, another pillar of the France group will also leave the selection this year: Vincent Collet. After fifteen years at the head of the Blues, the man with eight international medals will leave his place on the French bench and “Batman” says to himself ” upset ” by the way his rich mandate is coming to an end.
” I was lucky enough to be able to choose my exit and I think thathe would have deserved to be able to do it Also » estimated the now ex-French captain, launched by coach Collet at Le Mans. It's a shame, but it's a choice that was made and I can understand. Afterwards, Vincent may have also made the decision to stop. I haven't discussed it with him. Knowing the competitor he is, I think he would have wanted to continue too, but if it's not his decision, It's a shame they didn't let him choose his exit.. »
However, even though he has ” I understood that it was not impossible that this would continue with [Vincent Collet] ” because ” players were OK ” for, Nicolas Batum ” born [s’inquiète] not ” for the future of the French team. In particular because a certain Victor Wembanyama took the reins of the collective.
” He literally presented to the world » judge the Clippers player. There, we saw Victor at a very high level. What he did with the Mets 92 or the Spurs, it's different. There, we're talking about the Olympic Games where the whole world is going to watch you, in a match that really matters. It's a very good thing for him and for the start of his career, he did very well. What I told him during the games is that I didn't care about his 4/17 shooting because he was the best player on defense and that's all I want from him: as long as he's the best defender in the worldI don't care about a 25/25 shooting or 12 missed 3-pointers in a row. On the other hand, I will yell at you if you refuse the next shots. But if you continue to be who you are, [tout va bien]. In the final he continued to do it and he had a great match and this is just the beginning for him.. »
| Nicolas Batum | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2008-09 | POR | 79 | 18 | 44.6 | 36.9 | 80.8 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 5.4 |
| 2009-10 | POR | 37 | 25 | 51.9 | 40.9 | 84.3 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 10.1 |
| 2010-11 | POR | 80 | 32 | 45.5 | 34.5 | 84.1 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 12.4 |
| 2011-12 | POR | 59 | 30 | 45.1 | 39.1 | 83.6 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 13.9 |
| 2012-13 | POR | 73 | 38 | 42.3 | 37.2 | 84.8 | 1.3 | 4.3 | 5.6 | 4.9 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 14.3 |
| 2013-14 | POR | 82 | 36 | 46.5 | 36.1 | 80.3 | 1.4 | 6.0 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 13.1 |
| 2014-15 | POR | 71 | 34 | 40.0 | 32.4 | 85.7 | 0.9 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 4.8 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 9.4 |
| 2015-16 | CHA | 70 | 35 | 42.6 | 34.8 | 84.9 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 14.9 |
| 2016-17 | CHA | 77 | 34 | 40.3 | 33.3 | 85.6 | 0.6 | 5.7 | 6.3 | 5.9 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 15.1 |
| 2017-18 | CHA | 64 | 31 | 41.5 | 33.6 | 83.1 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 11.6 |
| 2018-19 | CHA | 75 | 31 | 45.0 | 38.9 | 86.5 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 9.3 |
| 2019-20 | CHA | 22 | 23 | 34.6 | 28.6 | 90.0 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 3.6 |
| 2020-21 | LAKE | 67 | 27 | 46.4 | 40.4 | 82.8 | 0.8 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 8.1 |
| 2021-22 | LAKE | 59 | 25 | 46.3 | 40.0 | 65.8 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 8.3 |
| 2022-23 | LAKE | 78 | 22 | 42.0 | 39.1 | 70.8 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 6.1 |
| 2023-24 * | All Teams | 60 | 26 | 45.3 | 39.5 | 71.4 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 5.3 |
| 2023-24 * | PHL | 57 | 26 | 45.6 | 39.9 | 71.4 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 5.5 |
| 2023-24 * | LAKE | 3 | 18 | 37.5 | 28.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 2.7 |
| Total | 1053 | 30 | 43.7 | 36.6 | 83.2 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 10.4 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
