PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Former Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum is retiring from the NBA after an 18-year career.
Batum announced his retirement Monday in a video posted to social media, sharing the news with his son, Ayden. The announcement came on Sept. 21, the same date Batum’s father died while playing basketball in France.
In the video, Batum explained that after 21 years of playing basketball, it was time to return home and spend more time with his family.
Batum’s NBA career began in Portland. He was selected 25th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2008 NBA Draft before being traded to the Trail Blazers on draft night. He spent his first seven NBA seasons in Portland, appearing in 481 games and averaging 11.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
Batum later played for the Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers. He finished his NBA career with 1,205 regular-season games, averaging 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists while scoring 11,553 total points.
But Portland remained an important part of his basketball journey.
“I can’t put into words how I feel about this franchise and this city,” Batum wrote on X. “Portland was my introduction to this league and this country. I couldn’t have asked for a better franchise to start my career with.”
Batum also enjoyed a decorated international career with France, serving as a longtime national team player and captain. He helped France win silver medals at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.