Nicolas Batum Played the Night of His Daughter's Birth, and His Teammates Appreciate it
Clippers Forward Nicolas Batum’s wife, Lily, gave birth to their daughter Nayeli on Friday. Prior to this, the Clippers were made aware that she would be having the baby either Friday or Saturday, and of course offered Batum the night off from their matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But after the birth, Batum decided to suit up and play. He had a great game, dropping 14 points on 5-6 FG and hitting all four of his 3-point attempts. The Clippers won handily, earning their sixth-straight victory. His teammates were extremely grateful to have him out there, especially given the circumstances.
“Man, we appreciate it,” Paul George said postgame. “We would’ve respected him either way. We know the decision, and how big of a moment this is for his family. My respect for him is 100. He had a win-win situation. He’s showing his commitment to this team. To be able to balance both, is an incredible thing that he did.”
“Nic is a great teammate, he’s better than me,” Marcus Morris Sr. added. “I would have stayed at the hospital. I’m happy for him, his wife and his new daughter are both healthy, it’s a blessing. I’m happy he came out and played. Nic is an easy going guy, we are similar, he’s a team-first guy and I’m happy we got him.”
Head Coach Tyronn Lue shared in his players’ gratitude.
“It was great,” Lue said after the game. “To see him have a beautiful daughter and then come back and to play the same night. It just shows his dedication. It means a lot to the team and we’re just happy for him. Today was a big day for him.”
The Clippers will once again play the Thunder on Sunday at 1 P.M. Batum will have one more fan rooting for him.
