Batum said he had to take care of a serious family matter. The departure was coordinated with the 76ers organization. Batum should debut for the Sixers on Monday, November 6th, against the Wizards.
After playing in the first three games of the 2023-24 NBA season, Nicolas Batum missed the last three matches. The player has now addressed his absence.
Talking with the media after practice on Monday, the French forward explained why he did not play last week.
"A very bad situation family-wise to handle, so I had to step away," he explained. "I saw a statement - and a lot of people sent me that statement - that the team didn't know about it. I was in constant communication with the team, with the coach, with everybody. They gave me the permission to go."
"Something was going on I had to take care of. The team knew. The retirement? I don't know where that came from. I don't know what the sources are. I'm here, I'm happy to be here, I'm not retiring or anything," Batum said. "I just had to take care of something. Some stuff is bigger than basketball, so I had to do it, I had to get away and take care of it first."
Batum was included in the James Harden trade package that ultimately sent him from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Frenchman is expected to debut for his new team on Monday, November 6th, in a game against the Washington Wizards.
Thank you for being with us! Subscribe to BN+ and browse ad-free.
