New Batum articles (Oct. 28)

Two new articles on Batum.  The first one I just translated his quotes, the article itself didn't have anything in it that we don't already know.  The second one was especially hard to translate, hopefully I didn't misinterpret anything.

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• Portland is like Lyon.
• I've heard about it [being too young to succeed in the NBA, etc.], but on my side, I never imagined playing in the D-League. I knew that Portland wanted me to work with the first team so that I develop my potential.
• I'm the last person to be able to criticize the course of the Blues this summer because I refused the selection. But the next day after the defeat against Turkey, I went to see my managers and I told them that if I was called next year, I would go. Portland told me OK without my having to fight. It's an open club, fullfilling.
• We had a training match in front of... 15,000 people. At half time, LaMarcus Aldridge took the mike and called me with the other rookies. We had to, each on his own, improvise a dance in the middle of the court. I didn't do so well.
• [regarding his number] I wanted #5. It was taken by Rudy Fernandez. I asked for #33, James Jones had it. He left the club after but I couldn't get it back. Number 10 was taken by Martell Webster. So what do I do? My birthday? 14 or 12 (he was born december 14th), that sucks. My best friend whispered to me: "why don't you take your birthyear, 88?" I thought that was bold. At least I'm sure to be the only one to wear it.

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Nicolas Batum is going to begin the season tonight against the Lakers. Old coaches, managers, and teammates recall memories and anecdotes.

Phillipe Desnos (ex youth coach at MSB)

"Nicolas, when I was a scout at Caen BC, I called him Bambi. When he came like that, very lanky, very big, you had the impression that he was going to fall each step. He was baby-like in his approach and his way of being. He was very mothered with his family history. A big kid naive in all his splendor. So it's astonishing to see everything he's done in such a little time. With his gift, as soon as he put a foot on the court, he was up to scratch, he played with a capital P without ever being daunted by the challenge. Simply, he could be bad in a school game and the next day be excellent in an international match. Behind his kindness hides a hell of a warrior. He no doubt owes it to his father that I knew a little bit on the court."

Alain Koffi (ex-teammate at MSB)

"At first, things didn't look that good for him. He was guaranteed to be in the D-League. The fact that he can debut in the NBA is already a very good thing. Nicolas was a very fun teammate who took games one after the other without getting worked up. A good teammate. With me, we teased each with football, in view of the fact that he has Cameroonian origins and me, Ivorian. Very soon, we learned that he had the talent for the NBA. On the court you have the impression that he never forced anything. It even became unnerving telling yourself that if he forced a little, it'd be even better. But that's his personality, his way of being."

Jean-Pierre Goisbault (ex-president at MSB)

"Nicolas, he was sort of born with us. At the very beginning, he was very raw. A well raised boy, very polite, who always told you hello and good bye. A hard worker always ready to listen. His weakness was his inconsistency in his performances. One day, he was extraordinary, the next day he was all wrong. He knew it. When he came to the pros, he succeeded but he wasn't successful at everything, immediately. He has so much talent that he rests a bit on this talent."

Didier Godefroy (ex-teacher at Caen BC)

"He truly was a boy. One day, during an exercise at Insep (National institute of sport and physical education), I remember Nicolas who half as fast as the others and didn't touch the lines. He was still a junior when many considered him a cadet because of his size. A child particularly adorable but a baby still very close to his mom. With him, I always appreciated his quality of passes and this capacity to have his wingspan and to watch the game. Very quickly, I alerted a lot of people around me about him. And then, there's his own story (his father) which would inevitably be a big source of motivation for him."

Rodolph Hamon (ex-trainer at Pont-L'Evêque) :

At 3-4 years old, he already came with his mother in the room. I saw him then start basketball school at around 5. At the time, there wasn't anyone lazier (laughing). It was so easy that he didn't force anything. He won all the competitions. However, the day when it became harder, he managed all the same. He stayed at Pont-L'Evêque until he was a junior. Very quickly, his interest was to go progress elsewhere. In Caen first of all then after in a youth academy. His mother didn't half get offers from Le Havre or Cholet. I remember having advised him to go to Le Mans because I knew people over there. Otherwise, Nicolas give a big thank you to his mom who always did everything so that he succeeded. The day before the draft, I had sent a text to Nicolas so that he remembers his mom's sacrifices to get him where he is.