Nicolas announced his retirement Monday, bringing an end to an 18-season NBA career and 20 years as a professional basketball player.
Batum revealed the decision alongside his 10-year-old son, Ayden, in a social media video.
“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.”
The 37-year-old explained that spending more time with his family played a major role in his decision to walk away.
“I decided to retire from basketball for several reasons,” Batum told his son. “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.”
Batum entered the NBA as a teenager in 2008 and spent his first seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. He later had a lengthy stint with the Charlotte Hornets before playing for the LA Clippers and briefly the Philadelphia 76ers.
He spent most of his final six seasons with the Clippers and appeared in 74 games last season, averaging 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds.
Across his NBA career, Batum averaged 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 37.1 percent from three, according to ESPN.
His career also included a decorated run with France. Batum won Olympic silver medals in 2020 and 2024, along with multiple FIBA World Cup and EuroBasket medals.
France’s semifinal victory over Germany at the 2024 Paris Olympics remained particularly special.
“The best basketball moment I’ve ever experienced,” Batum said of the win.
The Clippers declined Batum’s $5.9 million option for the 2026-27 season earlier this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent before he ultimately decided it was time to walk away.
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