What could be more beautiful and more symbolic than ending your career at the Paris Olympics? It is the wish of Nicolas Batum, who will turn 34 at the end of the year. To give himself the best chance of achieving his goal, he decided to take a break this summer, and he went back on this package for Euro 2022 since there was some criticism, or at least criticism. ‘incomprehension.
Clearly, it annoys him that we can question his need to take a break: ” I only take a fortnight of real family holidays – and as it annoys me that some people don’t understand that, I would like to remind you that my father ruptured an aneurysm, in the field, before my eyes (two and a half years). There. I’m also the NBA player with the most FIBA games on the clock… »
« An Embiid-Gobert racket, damn it! »
As he is under contract with the Clippers, he follows the same program as his teammates, with the objective of playing for two more years.
“I’m not tired, I know very well that I could play this summer. And I never said it was to rest, huh! » he says in L’Equipe. “But I want to be ready. I want to play two more years and ideally it would be: go far with the Clippers, World Cup, go far with the Clippers again, then the Paris Olympics and finish my career there. To chain all this, non-stop, I want to (he insists on this word) prepare myself as well as possible. This is not idleness on the beach! »
No “banana boat” for Nicolas Batum who remains more than ever attached to the blue jersey. Captain of the French team, he reacted to the possible arrival in selection of Joel Embiid. Manager of the Blues, Boris Diaw confirmed the information, and Nicolas Batum necessarily has eyes that shine.
« I can understand that it’s ethically disturbing, but from a basketball point of view… I put myself on both sides: player-captain, but also fan! And an Embiid-Gobert racquet, damn it! (…) On the ethical side, this raises questions. On the basketball side, there are zero to ask. But this hypothesis, adding an MVP level player, is up for discussion. With the group, with the coach… The group has to be ok. But again, we are in a huge hypothesis. »
The full interview with Nicolas Batum
| Nicolas Batum | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2008-09 | FOR | 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 | FOR | 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 | FOR | 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 | FOR | 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 | FOR | 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 | FOR | 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 | FOR | 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 | LAC | 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 | LAC | 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 |
| Total | 915 | 31 | 43.7 | 36.3 | 83.7 | 1.0 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 11.1 | |
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