Nicolas Batum chose a retirement date that carried a heavy family meaning, and he made sure everyone knew why.
In a 10-minute video posted to social media Monday afternoon, Batum announced that he is done playing professional basketball, closing the book on an 18-year NBA run that took him through four franchises. The timing mattered to him: Sept. 21 marked the 35th anniversary of his father’s death on a court in France.
“Most of all, this date is special to me: Sept. 21.
It’s the 35th anniversary of my dad’s death on a court,” Batum said in his native French in the video. “It unfortunately ended his career in a way he didn’t choose, with me sitting in the stands.
And he never really got to live a ‘normal’ life, so to speak.”
That tragedy happened on Sept. 21, 1991, when Batum was 2 years old. He was in the stands watching his father, Richard, play a professional game in France when Richard collapsed at the free-throw line and died from a ruptured aneurysm. Batum later told People that it was “the only memory I have of him.”
The connection to his father has always sat at the center of Batum’s basketball story. It’s also at the center of how he chose to end it.
Batum’s announcement video begins in a place that clearly matters to him: a small gym in Pont-l'Évêque, France, the gym where he grew up playing. He’s walking there with his son, Ayden, before the two sit on the bleachers and talk through the decision in a simple, personal exchange.
“So you don’t want me to retire?” Batum asked his son Ayden.
From there, Batum explains that years in the NBA meant giving up plenty of moments at home, including moments in his son’s life. Now, he said, retirement gives him the chance to show up in a way he couldn’t before.
“I can finally start a new life, one I didn’t get to have as a kid: A life like yours, with your dad. I can do what my father couldn’t.
And that’s also why I’m happy today, and why I’m doing this today. Because it’s the date your grandpa died.”
Batum’s basketball path started early. As a teenager in 2004, he helped France’s junior national team win the FIBA Europe Under-16 championship. He later played professionally for Le Mans before the Rockets took him with the No. 25 pick in the 2008 draft and sent him to the Trail Blazers.
His NBA career stretched across Portland, Los Angeles, Charlotte and Philadelphia. Over 18 seasons, he played seven years with the Trail Blazers, six with the Clippers, five with the Hornets and one with the 76ers, averaging 9.6 points per game while shooting 37.1% from 3-point range. At 6-foot-7, he carved out a long run as one of the league’s most useful role players - a wing who could do a little of everything and punish teams from the outside.
His final NBA season came with the Clippers, where he appeared in 74 games last year and averaged 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game.
Still, the moment that stood out most for Batum came away from the NBA stage. He said his favorite basketball memory was playing for France in front of the home crowd at the 2024 Paris Games, with Ayden in the building. His favorite game of that event was France’s 73-69 win over Germany to reach the gold medal game.
“Having you there with me on the court was really special,” Batum said to his son. “I never had moments like that with my dad on a basketball court. And I got to create those moments with you, things that you’ll remember when you’re older too.”
The video closes with Batum walking off the court alongside his wife, Aurélie, and their two children.
“At some point, you have to know when to stop,” Batum said. “… I’ll miss it, but that’s not what I’m looking for anymore.
I’m looking for something else. I’m moving on.”
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