France Basketball Legend Announces Plan to Retire

17-year NBA veteran and LA Clippers forward Nicolas Batum is gearing up for retirement

Oct 29, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum (33) forward Paul George (13) guard Russell Westbrook (0) and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) watch game action aganst the San Antonio Spurs during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The LA Clippers flamed out of the 2025 NBA playoffs, losing in seven games to the Denver Nuggets to mark another disappointing first-round exit.

Now, heading into the offseason, the Clippers have plenty of questions that need answers. One of the most pressing concerns around LA is their aging stars, as guys like 35-year-old James Harden and 33-year-old Kawhi Leonard are not getting any younger. However, even some of their supporting cast are reaching the end of the road.

Jan 15, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) high fives guard-forward Nicolas Batum (33) after a play against the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Clippers forward and France basketball legend Nic Batum recently announced that there is a "good chance" he retires after the 2025-26 NBA season.

"There’s a very, very good chance that the next season will be my last," Batum said.

« De très, très, très grandes chances que la prochaine saison soit ma dernière. » La visio du SNL avec @nicolas88batum , en intégralité c’est par ici: https://t.co/7Y9MYVHNeU#nbaextra pic.twitter.com/w7G80npK7s

— Remi Reverchon (@SoFrenchProd) May 19, 2025

Batum, 36, just finished his fourth career season with the Clippers and his first since returning to LA after a brief stint with the Philadelphia 76ers. Through 285 regular-season games with the Clippers, Batum has averaged 6.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists with 44.7/40.4/75.2 shooting splits.

Batum became a huge piece for the Clippers over the past few years and continued to show up in the postseason for LA. In a win-or-go-home Game 6 against Denver, Batum dropped six points, five rebounds, six assists, two steals, and three blocks, stuffing that stat sheet to help LA pick up a win to keep their season alive.

Nic Batum off the bench:

6 PTS
5 REB
6 AST
2 STL
3 BLK

The first player since Iguodala with a 5/5/5/2/2 playoff game off the bench. pic.twitter.com/nejwfAV75Z

— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 2, 2025

Batum has represented Team France at the last four Olympics and last four FIBA World Cups, becoming a basketball legend in his home country, while being a valuable veteran in the NBA for years.

Batum has a player option for the 2025-26 season before hitting unrestricted free agency, but by the sounds of it, he will opt in to his option to play his final NBA season in LA.

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