The 30-year-old swingman really expected 26-year-old Gobert to land an All-Star spot and explained why he believes the Utah Jazz player had such an emotional response to his snub. “He’s in the Western Conference” he initially noted. “I was at the grocery store with my wife and my kid. I was in a hurry to watch my guy live. I was sure he would be in. I turned the TV on and couldn’t believe he wasn’t. I was pissed. I wanted it so bad for him” he added. “He deserved it. He wanted to be in, not only for himself. It would be huge for Europeans. When you’re an All-Star, it’s not only for you, but also for your country. That’s why I think he was so emotional. He had so much support from back home. Maybe he felt like he let us down” Batum said.
Nicolas Batum Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: F-G
Born: 12/14/88
Height: 6-8 / 2.03
Weight:199 lbs. / 90.7 kg.
Salary: $24,000,000
Born: 12/14/88
Height: 6-8 / 2.03
Weight:199 lbs. / 90.7 kg.
Salary: $24,000,000
In an exclusive interview with Batum Sunday, I asked him if that contract feels like a burden. “No,” Batum said. “I’ve never been that guy who scored 25 points per game since I was a pro. When I was in France (playing professionally as a teenager) people would say, ‘He’ll never get to the (NBA)‘ because I never scored 20 points. But I scored 14 points and had five rebounds and six assists.”
Nicolas Batum: “I never really cared about how people outside basketball think of me. Coaches or players saying ‘I love to play with you’ (matters) but I don’t really care what people think of me. That does not mean I think I’m a great player. I make a lot of mistakes on the court and I have some bad games. Some criticism is justified, for sure.”
I asked Batum Sunday where scoring fits in his priorities. I found it interesting he responded by mentioning his favorite player growing up was Scottie Pippen, who complemented a great scorer — now-Hornets owner Michael Jordan — by filling other gaps during the Chicago Bulls’ championship runs. “There are guys who want to score to win. Maybe there are also guys who score to pump (up) their numbers, for contract stuff or to stay in the league or to get minutes,” Batum said. “It’s not all about numbers. It’s also about defense. If you don’t play defense, you’ve got a problem.”
Nicolas Batum — Hefty contract, $24 million this year and $25 million in 2019-20. “I know he’s been playing badly but he has some similarities to Ariza,” said one scout.
A young Elie Okobo did not watch Saturday-morning cartoons before heading to his basketball games. He watched replays of San Antonio Spurs games broadcast from thousands of miles away, dazzled by fellow Frenchman and point guard Tony Parker. Less than two weeks ago, Okobo sat down at swanky Scottsdale seafood restaurant Ocean 44 to share a postgame dinner with Parker. The two had just guarded each other in Charlotte’s win at Phoenix. Parker’s teammate, Nic Batum, and former Suns and Spurs player Boris Diaw joined them. The meal epitomized the bond NBA players from France share, even when they are opponents on the floor or their playing careers have concluded. Okobo, aka “Young Frenchie,” is the latest to join that club, already contributing to the Suns as a rookie and occasionally matching up against his childhood idol. “I want to be this guy one day, the guy that the (French) kids look up to,” Okobo said. “I think I’m on my way. I gotta keep working.”
Nicolas Batum on trade rumors: “Like every year. I was asked this question recently and I said that the only time my name was not in the rumor mill was when I was actually traded. The rumors anyway, it’s okay, it’s all forgotten the next day. We are often in the rumor mill and nothing happens. I learned to live with it. It does not bother me.”
