French basketball player Nicolas Batum has concluded his career, the French news agency AFP reported. Batum, aged 37, bid farewell via a video in which he addressed his son throughout.
Batum is the most decorated French basketball player in history. No player in French history has won seven medals as he has. He spent 15 years with the national team and 18 years in the NBA.
Alongside the national team, he won two Olympic silver medals — in 2021 in Tokyo and 2024 in Paris. At world championships, he won two bronzes, in 2014 and 2019, and at European championships, he won gold, silver and bronze. He retired from the national team in 2024 in Paris.
Batum was the 25th pick in the 2008 NBA draft, but never played for that team. His NBA career saw stints with Portland, Charlotte, Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Clippers, with the Clippers being his final NBA team.
The retirement occurred on the anniversary of his father's death, who passed away on a basketball court following an aneurysm. Batum stated that he concluded his career because he had served his time and wanted to make space for others, adding that in these years it is important to know when to stop.
