Nicolas Batum believes that the French leave too young in the NBA

On the occasion of the resumption of the NBA, Nicolas Batum confided in the columns of L’Équipe on the difficulty of young French players to impose themselves in the Great League. For the Los Angeles Clippers player, the problem is that young people want to arrive in the United States too early and the step is still too high.

“For foreigners, it has always been more complicated. But the real difference is that when we arrived in the United States, even if there were questions about our ability to succeed in the United States, we had nothing more to prove in France. We had struggled to impose ourselves, gain credibility and respect, and we were ready for what awaited us. vincent (Editor’s note: Collet, coach of the Blues and former coach of Batum at Le Mans) gave me the keys to a EuroLeague team at 18, Tony dominated with PSG, Boris and the Pietrus brothers were champions and major elements in Pau, Rudy was the best defender in the elite. If Evan had stayed one more year, he would have finished with more than 20 points per game… Before, you didn’t even dare to think about signing up for the draft if you weren’t dominating in the first division. Today, it’s just if everyone does not put his name. »

The “gap” between the French championship and the NBA is significant. This grand jump is often premature and the training incomplete in Europe for young French talents. While waiting to find out if the latest arrivals, Ousmane Dieng (only one professional season, in Australia) and Moussa Diabaté (only one season in the NCAA), are ready, Nicolas Batum will play his first match of the 2022-2023 version against the Lakers this Friday.