Adieu, Batum: 18-year NBA vet, Team France stalwart retires

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  Ben GolliverSep 21, 2026, 02:24 PM ET

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  Ben Golliver is a senior NBA writer who joined ESPN in May 2026.

  Prior to joining ESPN, Golliver covered the NBA on a national level since 2010 for The Washington Post, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports. He is the author of Bubbleball, an account of his 93-day stay at the NBA's "Bubble" in Disney World during the coronavirus pandemic. He is based in Los Angeles.

Nicolas Batum, a longtime NBA forward and stalwart for France's national team, announced his retirement Monday in a social media video with his son.

"Yeah, that's it," Batum said. "Dad's done playing basketball. I've been playing for a long time. ... Twenty years as a pro. That's a lot. Eighteen years in the NBA. Fifteen with the French national team. ... It's over."

Batum, 37, spent most of the past six seasons with the LA Clippers, averaging 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in 74 appearances last season. The 2008 first-round pick entered the NBA as a teenager and spent his first seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers before a lengthy stint with the Charlotte Hornets and a brief stop with the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2023-24 season.

Prior to joining the NBA, Batum played two seasons in the French league.

"I decided to retire from basketball for several reasons," Batum told his 10-year-old son, Ayden, in the video. "I want to come home and be with you. I'm going to take care of you and make room for others. I think I've done my time. My time with France ended two years ago. And the NBA is over too. You know, when you've played as much basketball as I have, at some point, you have to know when to stop. ... I've done everything I needed to do."

A versatile forward capable of defending multiple positions and stretching opposing defenses with his outside shot, Batum posted career averages of 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 37.1% on three-pointers. During his career, Batum appeared in 76 playoff games and reached the 2021 Western Conference finals with the Clippers.

The native of Lisieux, France, was deeply committed to representing his country on the international stage, competing with longtime teammates Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier. Batum started for French teams that won silver medals at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, he won bronze medals at the 2014 and 2019 FIBA World Cups, and he medaled at the 2011, 2013 and 2015 EuroBasket tournaments.

Batum said in the video that France's semifinal win over Germany at the 2024 Olympics in Paris was "the best basketball moment I've ever experienced."

Earlier this summer, the Clippers declined their option on Batum's $5.9 million contract for the 2026-27 season, leaving him as an unrestricted free agent.