Final year! The 36-year-old Batum plans to retire next season: 18 seasons in the NBA

On May 20, Beijing time, Clippers player Batum revealed in an interview with BeinSports that he plans to officially retire after playing the 2025-26 season and end his NBA career. Batum is 36 years old and the 2025-26 season will be his 18th season in the NBA.

"Next season will most likely be my last," Batum said on the show. Batum is expected to remain with the Clippers next season to fulfill his two-year contract with the team in the 2024 free agent market. For the 2025-26 season, Batum has a $4.9 million player option.

In the regular season this season, Batum played in 78 games, averaging 17.5 minutes per game, contributing 4.0 points and 2.8 rebounds. In the playoffs, he increased his playing time, averaging 24.6 minutes per game and improving his stats to 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Batum, known to fans as the "French Pippen," was drafted by the Rockets with the 25th pick in the first round of the 2008 Draft and was subsequently sent to the Trail Blazers in a three-way trade. So far in his career, Batum has played for four teams, namely the Trail Blazers, Hornets, 76ers and Clippers. So far in his career, Batum has played in 1,131 regular season games, averaging 10 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

A year ago, Batum completed the curtain call of the French national team in the Olympic final, and the French men's basketball team finally lost to the United States 78-98.

Batum didn't win any glamorous accolades in his NBA career, but he has made it to the international stage, accumulating seven medals. In addition to his silver medal in Paris, he also won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, two bronze medals at the 2014 and 2019 World Cups, and a European Championship 2013 gold medal. In addition, his roster of honour includes a silver medal at Euro 2011 and a bronze medal at Euro 2015.