NBA – At 36, Nico Batum announces his probable retirement: “I don’t know what I’m going to do”

Par Guillaume Kagni | Journaliste sportif

At 36, Nicolas Batum is no longer young. And while he’s still an invaluable part of the Clippers’ rotation, he’s undeniably nearing the end of his career. In fact, he’s just given us a few details on the subject. He already knows when he’s going to stop.

Because of players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who continue to dominate despite their age, one might almost think it’s easy to string together seasons in the NBA. But the reality for most players is that the wear and tear—both physical and mental—builds up with each passing year. At 36, Nicolas Batum knows this all too well.

What keeps him going, besides his ability to impact games by doing all the little things for his team, is the appreciation he has for Tyronn Lue. After a turbulent end to his stint in Charlotte, it was under the 2016 champion’s guidance that he rediscovered the joy of playing. It was in Los Angeles that he was able to extend his NBA career.

For Nicolas Batum, it’s nearly time to retire

But how much longer can he go on? The question was put clearly to him in an interview broadcast on beIN Sports at half-time of Game 7 between the Nuggets and the Thunder. He should honor his contract with the Clippers, he should go one last time in search of a ring alongside Kawhi Leonard, before starting a new chapter in his life:

There’s a very, very good chance that this NBA season will be my last. What am I going to do next? I don’t necessarily have any ideas yet. I know I’ll be at home, even if I don’t know if home is Los Angeles or Charlotte. My first job will be to be with my wife and kids full-time. After that, I don’t know, I have lots of possibilities.

I’ll let the summer pass and see. This is the first summer where I don’t really have any pressure behind it. Even when I wasn’t in the French team, I was always thinking about it. Right now, my mind is totally free and that’s pretty weird. It’s something new. It feels good. I’m really in family mode at the moment, and we’ll see. I’ll deal with these questions when the time comes.

Nicolas Batum potentially has one season left on his contract for $4 million, a sum that’s hard to turn down. But if he decides to activate his player option and continue for another year, he won’t go beyond that. Next year will therefore be a special one for one of the best Frenchmen in the history of the sport, unless the summer precipitates his retirement.