Led by Victor Wembanyama and Nicolas Batum, the French Men's National Basketball Team finished their run at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday. Unfortunately, they fell short of their ultimate goal with a 98-87 loss to LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and the United States.
Victor Wembanyama led the way for France, recording a game-high 26 points and earning All-Olympics Team honors after the game. Nicolas Batum was quiet offensively, finishing with five points, eight rebounds, and four assists. He had the task of defending some of Team USA's best like Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, which ultimately proved to be a tall task.
Batum Done Internationally
For years now, Batum had been hinting that this Olympics run would be his last. On Saturday night, he confirmed that the Paris Olympics was his last time suiting up with France.
“It was my last one with this jersey,” Nicolas Batum said after the loss. “I spent 15 years playing four World Cups, four EuroBaskets, and four Olympics. I did what I had to do: 7 medals. I'm happy.”
Nicolas Batum, who will turn 36 years old in December, will finish his international career with seven total medals to his name:
• 2024 Paris Olympics; Silver
• 2020 Tokyo Olympics; Silver
• 2019 FIBA World Cup; Bronze
• 2015 EuroBasket; Bronze
• 2014 FIBA World Cup; Bronze
• 2013 EuroBasket; Gold
• 2011 EuroBasket; Silver
French guard Nando de Colo, 37 years of age, also announced that this would be his final run as well.
“I tried to do my best, but it’s the team that counts,” de Colo said via Eurohoops. “Everyone did their part of the work during this adventure. I’ve had some good groups, but one like the one this summer, I don’t know. It’s great to have finished with that one.”
Batum Thanks France
Despite falling short in the Gold Medal game for the second straight Olympics, Batum is holding his head up high as he's now part of two of the four medals France has won in Olympic Men's Basketball.
“It was planned that it was my last game with this jersey, so to finish in this place, this situation, this match, with this team in this competition, it’s special,” Nicolas Batum said in French, as translated by French media member Hanna of MVIP. “It’s hard to describe with the heat of the moment but I am happy and a bit sad at the same time. It’s still 15 years of summers that I sacrificed, crazy moments that I was able to live, memories of ups and downs. We play for France and it was an honor, and it was amazing. To finish on a loss is unfortunate, but in that game in particular, I couldn’t have dreamt for a better conclusion with the French National Team.
“After 15 years in this team, it’s time for me to leave my spot to the younger generation.”
Batum and France finished higher than likely anyone expected in these Olympics. Following a 2023 FIBA World Cup in which they failed to medal and finished fifth, Batum said he was concerned about returning home.
“I've never been ashamed with this jersey but this is the first time I'm ashamed,” Nicolas Batum said in August 2023 following the embarrassing FIBA World Cup result. “I'm scared to go home because we let a lot of people down. A lot of people believed in us to do something special. We didn't do it.”
France came out second in their respective Olympic group following a brutal loss against Germany that had many questioning if they had what it took to get far in the Olympics.
Instead, France turned it around by beating Canada — a team many had as the favorites to knock off USA. They then followed that up with a win against the 2023 FIBA World Cup Champions in Germany to advance to the Gold Medal game.
By doing so, France became just the first host country since 1996 to secure a medal in Men's five-on-five basketball. They're also the third country to ever do so along with USA and the Soviet Union.
France head coach Vincent Collet was brutally honest postgame, saying he fully believed his French team had what it took to defeat Team USA in the Gold Medal match.
“To be honest, today I was expecting more,” Collet said. “The game has shown me that we could do more, but you have to do the perfect gun, and we didn't do it. That's all, but I really think with a little bit more, we could really push them much more. We did it, we were not too far, but I'm sure we could do better. But it's like that, we had the chance, we didn't take it, so that's a first, we must think about it next time.”
France turned the ball over 13 times, shot just 9-of-30 from three, and made only 10 of their 17 free throws. On the flipside, Team USA made up for their 17 turnovers by making 18 three-pointers and making all eight of his free throws.
Nicolas Batum signed a two-year deal with the LA Clippers in free agency. He was expected to retire entirely following the 2024 Olympics, but found new life in the very unexpected James Harden trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.
In 1,053 appearances in the NBA, Nicolas Batum has averaged 10.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 0.9 steals per game on 43.7 percent shooting from the field and 36.6 percent from three.
Batum is one of nine players in NBA history with at least 10,000 points, 1,500 three-pointers, 900 steals, and 600 blocks in his NBA career.. The other eight players are LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce, James Harden, and Vince Carter. Of that nine-man group, Batum has played the fewest minutes and is 6,000 minutes behind eighth place James Harden.
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