Nicolas Batum

Nicolas Batum
Born	Nicolas Madelin Victor Andre Batum (1988-12-14) December 14, 1988 Lisieux, Calvados, France
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2006–present
Known for	Playing for Los Angeles Clippers and France men's national basketball team; Olympic silver medals in 2020 and 2024

Nicolas Madelin Victor Andre Batum ( ; born December 14, 1988) is a French professional basketball athlete currently playing for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Additionally, he represents the France men's national basketball team, having earned silver medals at both the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 2024 Summer Olympics held in Paris.

Early life

Born in Lisieux, Calvados, Batum is the son of a French mother and a Cameroonian father, Richard, who played professional basketball in France. Tragically, Richard passed away from an aneurysm during a game in 1991, an event witnessed by Nicolas and his mother when Nicolas was only two and a half years old.

Recruiting

At the 2007 Nike Hoop Summit, Batum showcased his talents by scoring 23 points with efficient shooting, alongside four rebounds and steals. Prior to the 2008 NBA draft, DraftExpress.com ranked him as the 17th best international prospect born in 1988.

Le Mans Sarthe (2006–2008)

Batum earned MVP honors at the 2006 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, guiding France to a gold medal. During his time with Le Mans, he averaged 3.4 points on 65.9% shooting, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists over 13 minutes per game in the 2006–07 French league season. His performance improved significantly in 2007–08, posting averages of 12.3 points (52.3% FG), 5.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while playing 28 minutes per contest.

Portland Trail Blazers (2008–2011)

Batum was chosen 25th overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, but was promptly traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for rights to Darrell Arthur and Joey Dorsey.

After appearing off the bench for three games, he secured a starting role in Portland’s fourth game of the 2008–09 season. On March 13, 2009, Batum achieved a season-best 20 points including a crucial three-pointer that contributed to a 109–100 victory over the New Jersey Nets.

He missed the initial 45 games of the 2009–10 campaign due to a torn cartilage injury in his right shoulder but returned on January 25, 2010. Batum recorded his first career 30-point performance on February 27, 2010, tallying 31 points along with seven rebounds and seven assists against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

SLUC Nancy (2011)

During the 2011 NBA lockout, Batum signed a one-year deal with SLUC Nancy competing in France’s top basketball league until the lockout concluded.

Return to Portland (2011–2015)

Following the lockout’s end, Batum resumed playing for Portland. On June 25, 2012, the Trail Blazers issued him a qualifying offer, designating him as a restricted free agent. Within three weeks, he agreed to a $46 million four-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Portland matched this offer on July 18 to retain him through the 2015–16 season.

On November 16, 2012, Batum equaled his career-high by scoring 35 points during a thrilling overtime win over the Houston Rockets (119–117). A month later, he achieved an uncommon five-by-five stat line—11 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, five blocks, and five steals—in a narrow victory against the New Orleans Hornets.

On January 21, 2013, Batum recorded his first triple-double with totals of 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists despite a close defeat to the Washington Wizards. The 2012–13 season represented a personal best for Batum as he set new highs across multiple statistical categories and notably increased his assists average to 4.9 per game—more than triple his previous best mark.

Charlotte Hornets (2015–2020)

On June 24, 2015, Batum was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Gerald Henderson, Jr. and Noah Vonleh. He made his first appearance for the Hornets in the season opener on October 28, contributing 9 points and 6 rebounds in a defeat against the Miami Heat. Batum achieved a season-best performance on November 15, scoring 33 points during a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, which earned him his inaugural Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor after guiding Charlotte to a 3–1 record that week. On December 9, he notched his fifth career triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in a win against Miami. A right toe injury caused him to miss multiple games in January. He recorded a second triple-double on March 29, posting 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists in a triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Batum extended his contract with Charlotte on July 7, 2016, signing a five-year deal worth $120 million. On December 23, he achieved another triple-double, tallying 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win against the Chicago Bulls.

On October 5, 2017, Batum was ruled out for six to eight weeks after sustaining a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. He made his comeback on November 15 by scoring 16 points in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Shortly thereafter, he exited a game due to an elbow contusion. On January 31, 2018, Batum recorded yet another triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists versus the Atlanta Hawks. In March, he put up 29 points along with 12 rebounds and seven assists against the Phoenix Suns, then set a personal best with 16 assists alongside a double-double on March 15 during a victory over the Hawks.

On October 24, 2019, Batum was sidelined for two to three weeks due to an avulsion fracture on the third finger of his left hand.

The Hornets released Batum on November 29, 2020.

Los Angeles Clippers (2020–2023)

Following his waiver clearance on December 1, 2020, Batum signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. He re-signed with the team on August 13, 2021. Later, on July 6, 2022, Batum secured another two-year contract to continue his tenure with the Clippers.

Philadelphia 76ers (2023–2024)

On November 1, 2023, Batum was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers along with Marcus Morris Sr., Kenyon Martin Jr., and Robert Covington from the Clippers as part of a deal involving James Harden, P. J. Tucker, and Filip Petrušev. The transaction also included several draft picks and financial considerations exchanged among the Clippers, Sixers, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Second stint with Los Angeles Clippers (2024–present)

Batum returned to the Clippers on July 10, 2024. Throughout the 2024–25 NBA season, he participated in 78 games (starting eight), averaging per game: 4.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. On June 30, 2025, he re-signed with Los Angeles under a two-year contract valued at $11.5 million.

Player profile

Batum is widely acknowledged as a proficient defender and among the NBA's leading practitioners of the chase-down block. In his early years in Pont-l'Évêque, Normandy, he played as a center, with his stature and nimbleness influencing a defensive approach modeled after shot-blocking expert Dikembe Mutombo. As he shifted from the post to the wing position at the start of his professional journey, Batum honed the chase-down block, which became a defining feature of his NBA defensive repertoire. During the 2012–13 campaign, only two players outside the center or power forward roles—Josh Smith and Kevin Durant—surpassed him in blocks. On May 31, 2021, he notably assumed the center position for the Clippers during a playoff matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.

Youth career

In 2006, Batum earned MVP honors at the Under-18 Albert Schweitzer Tournament held in Mannheim, Germany, guiding France to championship success. Throughout the seven-game event, he averaged 19 points, more than 5 rebounds, and upwards of 2 steals per contest.

2012 Summer Olympics

Batum competed with the senior French national basketball squad at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In a quarterfinal defeat by Spain with a score of 66–59, he reacted in frustration by striking Spanish player Juan Carlos Navarro. Subsequently, Batum issued a public apology, recognizing the detrimental impact this incident had on his own reputation, that of France, and his NBA team in Portland.

2014 FIBA World Cup

Playing a pivotal role in France’s landmark third-place achievement at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which marked the country’s inaugural medal in this tournament, Batum delivered an exceptional performance. He posted an average of 31.0 points across the final two matches and was named to the all-tournament team.

2020 Summer Olympics

During the 2020 Olympics, Batum executed a critical block against Klemen Prepelič in the semifinal round that secured victory for France. Although France ultimately fell 87–82 to the United States in the championship game, this clutch defensive play was lauded by teammate Rudy Gobert as one of the finest blocks ever witnessed and remains one of the most unforgettable moments of those Games.

French national team individual awards and honors

• FIBA Basketball World Cup: (2014)
• FIBA EuroBasket: (2013)
• FIBA EuroBasket: (2011)
• FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship: 2006
• FIBA Under-19 World Cup: 2007
• FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team: 2014
• FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship MVP: 2006
• FIBA Europe Under-18 All-Tournament Team: 2006

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Portland | 79 || 76 || 18.4 || .446 || .369 || .808 || 2.8 || .9 || .6 || .5 || 5.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Portland | 37 || 25 || 24.8 || .519 || .409 || .843 || 3.8 || 1.2 || .6 || .7 || 10.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Portland | 80 || 67 || 31.5 || .455 || .345 || .841 || 4.5 || 1.5 || .9 || .6 || 12.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Portland | 59 || 34 || 30.4 || .451 || .391 || .836 || 4.6 || 1.4 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 13.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Portland | 73 || 73 || 38.4 || .423 || .372 || .848 || 5.6 || 4.9 || 1.2 || 1.1 ||14.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Portland | 82|| style="background:#cfecec;" | 82*||36.0||.465||.361||.803||7.5||5.1||.9||.7||13.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Portland |71||71||33.5||.400||.324||.857||5.9||4.8||1.1||.6||9.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Charlotte |70||70||35.0||.426||.348||.849||6.1||5.8||.9||.6||14.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Charlotte |77||77||34.0||.403||.333||.856||6.2|||5.9|||1.1|||0.4|||15.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;" |Charlotte

|64||64||31.0||.415||.336||.831||4.8||5.5||1.0||0.4||11.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |
| style="text-align:left;" |Charlotte
|75||72||31.4||.450||.389||.865||5.2||3.3||0.9||0.6||9.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |
| style="text-align:left;" |Charlotte
|22||3||23.0||0.346|||0,286|||.900|||4,5|||3,0|||0,8|||0,4|||3,6
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |
| style="text-align:left;" |L.A.Clippers
|67|||38|||27,4|||0,464|||0,404|||0,828|||4,7|||2,2|||1,0|||0,6|||8,1
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |
| style="text-align:left;" |L.A.Clippers
|59|||54|||24,8|||0,463|||0,400|||0,658|||4,3|||1,7|||1,0|||0,7|||8,3
|-
|style="text-align:left" |
|style="text-align:left" |L.A.Clippers
|78|||19|||21,9|||0,420|||0,391|||0,708|||3,8|||1,6|||0,7|||0,6|||6,1
|- 
|style="text-align:left" rowspan=2>
|style="text-align:left" |L.A.Clippers
|3|||0|||18,0|||0,375|||0,286||||2,3|||1,7|||1,0||||,13
|-

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"|2009 | style="text-align:left;"|Portland | 6 || 5 || 10.5 || .556 || .500 || || 0.5 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 0.3 || 2.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2010 | style="text-align:left;"|Portland | 6 || 6 || 23.1 || .459 || .429 || .750 || 3.2 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 8.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2011 | style="text-align:left;"|Portland | 6 || 0 || 25.1 || .413 || .269 || .750 || 1.7 || 1.3 || 0.8 || 0.8 || 8.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2014 | style="text-align:left;"|Portland | 11 || 11 || 41.7 || .472 || .350 || .800 || 7.6 || 4.8 || 1.3 || 0.5 || 15.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2015 | style="text-align:left;"|Portland | 5 || 5 || 41.7 || .343 || .333 || .769 || 8.6 || 5.2 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 14.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2016 | style="text-align:left;"|Charlotte | 5 || 2 || 28.8 || .378 || .273 || .850 || 3.6 || 2.0 || 0.4 || 0.0 || 11.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2021 | style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Clippers | 19 || 10 || 29.2 || .486 || .389 || .826 || 5.5 || 2.1 || 1.3|| 0.5||8.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2023 | style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Clippers | 5||3||18.3||.421||.353|| ||2.2||1.2||0.4||0.4||4.4 |-

| style="text-align:left;" | 2024 
| style="text-align:left;" | Philadelphia 
|6||0||28.3||.414||.409||.625||5.8||1.3||0.2||0.8||6.3

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | 2025 
| style="text-align:left;" | L.A. Clippers 
|7||0||24.6||.394||.394||||3.9||2.0||0.9|||1.7||5.6

|- class="sortbottom"

|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
|76||42||28.3||.436||.361||.791||4.7||2.2||0.8||0.6||8.6

EuroLeague

|-
|style="text-align:left;" | 2006–07 
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| Le Mans 
|12||2||13.5|||0,500||0,273||0,769||1,7||0,7||0,8||0,4||4,3||4,6
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | 2007–08 
|13|||13|||26,6|||0,453|||0,290|||0,667|||3,5|||2,7|||1,5|||0,5|||8,5|||9,6
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | 2011–12 
|style="text-align:left;" | Nancy 
|6|||6|||37,6|||0,415|||0,333|||0,818|||6,7|||5,2|||1,7|||.7 '|||15,8 '||| 23,2
|- class ="sortbottom"
|style =" text-align:center; " colspan ="2" |Career
|31|||21|||23,6|||0,449|||0,298|||0,765|||3,4|||2,4|||1,2|||0,5|||8,3|||10,3

Personal life

In March 2017, Batum acquired shares in Infinity Nine Sports, a company owned by Tony Parker that manages the French basketball team ASVEL Basket. Concurrently, he took on the position of director of basketball operations at ASVEL.

See also

• List of European basketball players in the United States

External links

• Nicolas Batum profile on euroleague.net
• Nicolas Batum at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics