‘It’s over’: Nicolas Batum announces retirement from NBA after 18 years

Nicolas Batum announced his retirement from the NBA after 18 seasons on Monday, Sept. 21.

In a nearly 10-minute-long video posted to his Instagram account, the 37-year-old wing walked into Gym Even in Pont-l’Évêque, France – the same one where he started playing basketball exactly 35 years ago to the day on Sept. 21, 1991, when he was two-and a half years old, by his account. This time, Batum brought his son, Ayden, with him.

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“You don’t want me to retire?” Batum asked Ayden as they sat on the wooden bleachers.

“No,” Ayden replied.

“Should I keep playing basketball?”

“Yes.”

“No,” Batum said with a sense of finality. “It’s over.”

The Frenchman’s stat sheet won’t make anyone’s eyes pop. He was never an All-Star, let alone a star. But Batum had an undeniable respect from his peers in every locker room he stepped foot in.

He spaced the floor well with his shooting ability and his tendency to get the ball to his teammates and on the defensive side of the ball, Batum’s 6-7 frame and 7-1 wingspan gave him the versatility to defend multiple positions. He was a crucial role player in his early years with a Portland Trail Blazers squad that made the playoffs in six of his seven seasons. Batum was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in 2015, where he spent the next five years before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers in December 2020 on the minimum.

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That’s where Batum spent the remaining six years of his career – well, five and some change. He was briefly traded to the Philadelphia 76ers five games into the 2023-24 season as part of the James Harden trade and returned to L.A. the following summer on a two-year, $9.6 million deal.

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(Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports)

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Publish date : 2026-09-22 12:04:00

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