Nicolas Batum Bio: NBA, Injuries & Relationships

Nicolas Batum is a French professional basketball player who is in the Los Angeles Clippers as a power forward/ small forward in the NBA.

Before entering the NBA League, Batum had already made his name as one of the most talented teen athletes who had already represented his national team in numerous tournaments.

Nicolas came from overseas to the NBA in 2008 after the Houston Rockets chose him in the first round.

However, he soon transferred to the Blazers and played there for about 8 seasons, making himself the team’s legend.

The LAC power forward has received widespread admiration from everyone for his offensive gameplay and consistent rebounding abilities. 

Even though he has not won any NBA championships, the veteran player has earned many individual honors and awards. He won the prestigious FIBA Europe Championship twice at an early age.

This article will take you through this player’s early life, the journey from the French League to the NBA, his personal life, and much more.

But, before getting into the detail, here are some quick facts about Nicolas Batum.

Quick Facts

Early Life, Family & Education

Nicolas Batum was born on December 14, in Lisieux, France, to his parents, Richard and Sylvie Batum. His father, Richard, was originally from Cameroon, Africa.

Richard Batum was a French professional basketball player. Sadly, his father died when Nic was just two and a half years old.

He and his mother witnessed his father collapse during the game.

After his sudden death, his mother had a hard time raising Batum and his younger sister, Pauline.

Young Nic grew quite enthusiastic about sports and began playing at an early age.

At his initial age, he had a keen interest in soccer. However, he started loving basketball over time and spent much time playing with the local young boys.

At 13, Batum joined the respected Le Mans Sarthe Basket academy to hone his basketball skills.

He played exceptionally well and quickly became one of the academy’s best students.

Three years after joining the school, he debuted for the senior Le Mans Sarthe Basket team in the French League. 

The lean and tall French youngster kept playing and impressed basketball stakeholders worldwide and developed into a world-class player just at his school level.

Career

Professional Career

French League

Nic began his professional career in 2006 when he was just 18. He debuted in the first-class French League for the Le Mans Sarthe.

He spent his first season well, averaging 3.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game in 13 minutes. The squad entrusted him with more playing time in the second season.

Batum did his best averaging 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in his second French League season.  

He participated in the Nike Hoop Summit in 2007, scoring 23 points in just 28 minutes and impressing the spectators, and had four rebounds and the same number of steals.

Batum stayed in the Sarthe for about three seasons and never failed to deliver good results throughout the time he stayed there.

However, he left the French league as a top-class player after the opportunity to play in the NBA knocked at the young player’s door in 2008.

NBA Career

Even though the Houston Rockets picked him up in the NBA draft, Batum was soon traded to the Oregon club, Blazers.

Batum debuted for the Blazers on their first game in the 2008 NBA.

However, he quickly rose to move into starting line-up from his fourth game against the Utah Jazz in their fourth game.

The small forward player played well and was a highly skillful defensive player in his rookie season.

His unique style and agility while playing at the front provided momentum when the team needed him the most.

With his fabulous performance, Batum scored a season-high 20 points ensuring victory over the Nets on March 13, 2009.

After a long break, he was back on the court to score 31 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010.

In 2012, Batum chose to stay in the Blazers by declining a four-year contract worth $46 million from the Timberwolves. He played three years more from the Blazers till 2015.

After eight seasons in the NBA, the Blazers traded him to the Charlotte Hornets.

He chipped 9 points with 6 rebounds against the Miami Heat in his debut for the Hornets, although they lost the match.

Batum extended his contract with the club for five more years on July 7, 2016. After his recovery, he scored his first triple-double of that year against the Chicago Bulls.

Nic frequently suffered injuries from 2017 to 2020, missing many important matches.

The Hornets released him in 2020, after which he signed with the Clippers. On August 13, 2021, he renewed his contract with the team.

Recent Career

On February 25, 2023, Domantas Sabonis and Batum became part of the Kings-Clippers matchup in NBA history with the second-highest-scoring game ever (176-175) after two OTs. 

While Sabonis and his team were on the winning side of this game, and it had the most three-pointers made (44) ever, where Batum chipped in 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 7/12 from the field and 5/10 from three.

According to a report on March 3, Nicolas backed up his former national teammate Thomas Heurtel’s return to the French team.

He said that it is a plus point to have him on the team, as it can be beneficial to have him in the upcoming major basketball events.

Heurtel earlier left the French national team to sign up with Russia, but as a consequence of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, he is back in France.

Batum scored in a victory (127-105) match against Oklahoma City on March 24. He hit three 3-pointers over the end of the third and start of the fourth.

National Career

Besides his NBA career, Batum has represented his nation in numerous tournaments and championships since his teen years. He participated in and won the 2004 FIBA Under-16 Championship.

In 2006, he won FIBA Under-18 Championship, where he was named the MVP.

He represented the senior national French team in the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, their journey ended up after being defeated by the Spanish team in the quarterfinals. 

Nicolas then appeared in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup as a member of the French team.

His team finished in the third position, becoming the first-ever French squad to win a medal in the World Cup.

Nicolas helped his country reach the Summer Olympics finals in 2020. However, they lost the Finals to the United States.

Batum’s decisive block of Klemen Prepelic’s shot in the semi-finals was considered one of the most memorable moments in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Award & Achievements

Nicolas Batum has earned numerous awards and accolades throughout his national and professional basketball career.

He has received multiple medals representing his nation in various tournaments, including the Basketball World Cup. 

Here are some of the achievements of Nic Batum:

• Albert Schweitzer tournament MVP (2006)
• French Basketball Player of the Year (2021)
• LNB Pro A Best Young Player (2007, 2008)
• FIBA Europe under-18 Championship, plus MVP (2006)
• FIBA Europe under-16 Championship (2004)

Under the directorship of Batum, the French club ASVEL Basket won both LNB Pro A and French Cup in 2019.

However, the NBA star is yet to win the NBA championship ring.

Net Worth, Salary & Career Earnings

Nicolas Batum has a net worth of $100 million as of 2023.

According to Forbes, Nicolas Batum had an estimated net worth of around $27 million at the end of the 2020-21 season.

The French talent makes his earnings through the league games. Batum earned around $1 million alone from his rookie season.

He also earned a similar amount in his second season, even though he missed many matches due to injury.

In his next 6 seasons in the Blazers, he received a total of $35 million.

After signing with the Charlotte Hornets, the club paid him around $13 million for his first year and a signing bonus worth $0.37 million.

Moreover, he collected approximately $71 million in his next 4 years in the club.

In 2021, Nic signed a two-year contract with the Clippers worth about $6.5 million. The player had a guaranteed annual salary of $3.2 million.

There is no reliable information about his salary and earnings during his French League years.

He is a shareholder of the French basketball league club ASVEL. He joined them in March 2017 and subsequently acted as its director.

Batum jointly owns the club with a few others, including his friend, Tony Parker as the club’s sole owner and president.

He earns a lot through merch sales and has previously been endorsed by brands such as Adidas, Nike, etc.

Relationships & Kids

Nicolas Batum is married to Lily Etchart, also known as Aurelie Batum.

Earlier, he was married to Melanie Pimentel (first wife ). They married on August 13, 2011, in Saint Ouen, France. 

Melanie Pimentel is a model and businesswoman from France.

Before marrying, the two dated each other for a while. Unfortunately, they settled their divorce as irreconcilable differences as the main cause of the split in 2013.

His second wife, Aurelie, is now the better half of this star player. Nobody knows when these two started to date each other, and their marriage date also remains undisclosed.

However, it is rumored that he had known her through his first wife, Melanie Pimentel, as they two were friends. 

Aurelie is originally from France as the player himself, but she lives with him in America at present. The couple is blessed with two beautiful kids.

Melanie gave birth to their first child, Ayden, in 2016. However, they were not married at the time of Ayden’s birth. 

In 2021, Aurelie gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Nayeli Batum. As of 2023, Ayden is 7, and Nayeli is 2.

Age, Weight & Height

As of 2023, the renowned athlete is 34. He celebrates his birthday every December 14.

The celebrated player stands 2.03 meters tall and weighs around 230 lb.

Talking about his body features, he has black colored hair and dark brown eyes. He has an athletic physique and is very enthusiastic about workouts.

However, Nic was quite thin at the start of his basketball career.

Injuries & Health Update

It is well known that Nicolas Batum has frequently suffered injuries in his long basketball career. For instance, he had a cartilage injury in the 2009-2010 season that forced him to miss around 45 matches.

Batum suffered from a toe injury in January 2015 and again endured an ankle injury, which he missed almost the entire 2015-16 season.

Due to a major ligament injury, he had to remain out of the court for six to eight weeks before the 2017-18 season. However, he made the season debut at the end of the next month.

The power forward player missed the remainder of the season after an elbow injury against the Wizards.

Then, even before moving to the Clippers, Nic missed several games for the Hornets due to a finger injury.

He was listed twice on the Covid Reserve list, in November 2021, he tested COVID positive for the first time and consequently missed 9 matches.

After resting for two weeks, Batum finally made a comeback in early December against Boston.

After showing some coronavirus symptoms, the L.A. Clippers again announced him on the COVID Reserve list on January 19, 2022.

However, he was cleared by January 21 and returned to the match against the Philadelphia 76ers.

He spent less time on the court throughout the early February matches due to lower back soreness. 

Social Media Presence

Nicolas Batum is mainly active on Twitter and Instagram. He mostly posts about his professional life and his family updates as well occasionally.

Follow him on the following accounts with the user name given below.

• Instagram (@nicbatum88): 273k followers
• Twitter (@nicolas88batum):  1 million followers
• Facebook (Nicolas Batum): Nicolas Batum 435k followers

Popularity Graph

Nicolas Batum is an NBA player for the LAC of the NBA who has been performing tremendously in 2023.

The popularity graph shows the wavelength from the last twelve months.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)