Nicolas Batum has announced his retirement from professional basketball at the age of 37, bringing an end to a career that began in France in 2005 and included 15 NBA seasons.
Batum made the announcement on Monday, September 21, posting a video on social media accompanied by the caption “21/09/1991 21/09/2026.”
The French forward began his professional career with Le Mans, appearing in two games during the 2005-06 season before becoming an important contributor the following year. In his final season with the club in 2007-08, Batum averaged 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 30 games.
Portland selected Batum with the 25th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, beginning a 15-season NBA career that also included stops with the Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers.
Batum spent seven seasons with the Trail Blazers from 2008 through 2015. His best statistical season in Portland came in 2012-13, when he averaged 14.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists over 73 games.
He remained a versatile contributor after joining Charlotte. Batum averaged 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 70 games during the 2015-16 season, followed by 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 77 games the next year.
Batum joined the Clippers in 2020 and spent the majority of the next several seasons in Los Angeles. He shot 40.1% from three-point range in 2020-21 and 40.0% in 2021-22, providing floor spacing and veteran experience.
After a brief stint with Philadelphia during the 2023-24 season, Batum returned to the Clippers for the final two seasons of his NBA career. He averaged 4.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 43.3% from three-point range in 2024-25, then posted 4.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists with a 40.4% three-point percentage in 2025-26.
Batum finishes his NBA career with 1,043 regular-season games played, according to the supplied career statistics, averaging 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 36.9% from three-point range.
His international career with France was equally significant. Batum won the 2013 EuroBasket title and also collected a silver medal at EuroBasket 2011 and a bronze medal at EuroBasket 2015.
On the global stage, Batum helped France win bronze medals at the 2014 and 2019 FIBA World Cups. He also played a central role in France’s Olympic campaigns, winning silver medals at both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Batum’s international résumé began before his senior national-team career. He won gold with France at the 2006 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, adding an early major title to a career that would eventually span two decades.
