Batum interview (June 6th)

by #10 on Jun 6, 2009 11:08 PM PDT

Nicolas Batum, present at Roland Garros (the French Open), recounts his first season in the NBA, and talks about the NBA finals between the Lakers and Orlando as well as the future of the French national team.

Nicolas, what is your prediction for the final between the Lakers and Orlando?
I think that it will go seven games. It's a very open final and that's why it's difficult for me to make a prediction. But it wouldn't be bad if Orlando won. After from Tony (Parker), Mike Pietrus would then be the second Frenchman to win an NBA title.

How do you judge Mike Pietrus' season?
Mike missed around thirty games in the regular season because of injuries. But he's had a great playoff. Against Cleveland, he had become the X factor. Everyone is talking about it in the United States. After LeBron James, he's going to have to take care of Kobe Bryant.

What did you think of your first year in the NBA?
I surprised myself. I didn't really know where I was going with Portland at the start of the season. In hindsight, when I see what I did... (Nicolas started 76 games in the regular season). But I still have work to do.

This summer, the French team is waiting for you, to help recover and qualify for Euro 2009...
You could say that we're on alert. Besides, the players are aware of it. That's why everyone wants to come. If we are serious, we can qualify for the European championship.

What is your opinion of Vincent Collet, your old coach at Le Mans that you will meet again with the French team?

Vincent is someone very open, he's very passionate. He always talked a lot to me. We still called each other regularly this year. He's the coach who sent me into the professional world. I owe a lot to him.

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not cool

auto linking Kobe and the Lakers? I’ll allow LeBron, but no chance the Lakers are getting free publicity from me. Fortunately it goes away if you go back and edit…

by #10 on Jun 6, 2009 11:11 PM PDT reply actions

man that is an awesome photo

could be good photoshop fodder

Woof

by Charles Barkley McLovin on Jun 6, 2009 11:21 PM PDT reply actions

Batum is considered slim

But his muscles are still bigger than mine :(

The ink of a scholar is worth a thousand times more than the blood of a martyr.

by The Pirate on Jun 9, 2009 5:10 AM PDT up reply actions

Nice find

"What's so interesting is that this team took on a dynamic that was very special. I don't think we as a group, in terms of management, coaches and players, realize what we did as a young team. We broke all the metrics. We broke all the molds. Our challenge is can we continue to do that. As young of a team with 54 wins, no issues off the court, phenomenal chemistry." - Kevin Pritchard

by lee3022 on Jun 6, 2009 11:58 PM PDT reply actions

Thanks

by tominhawaii on Jun 7, 2009 4:23 AM PDT reply actions

Thank you!

I always appreciate these.

I went to the malls and I balled too hard
'Oh my god, is that a Black Card?'
I turned around and replied, why yes but I prefer the term
African American Express

by Claire on Jun 7, 2009 8:53 AM PDT reply actions

I hope that's Gasol's arm in the picture.

by ericande on Jun 7, 2009 9:40 AM PDT reply actions

It is :)

Officer:Why did you kill your husband ?
Crazy Woman: Because I love too much!

by YikesItsCameron on Jun 7, 2009 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Thanks for the post

Offseason:
PG Options: Mike Conley(T)/Tyreke Evans(D)
SG Options: Terrence Williams(D)
Forward Options: Reggie Evans(T) - Taj Gibson(D), Damion James(D), Kevin Seraphin(D)

by TheGreatDane17 on Jun 7, 2009 11:31 AM PDT reply actions

agreed .. thanks for the post!

and the translation

by jayfisher on Jun 9, 2009 12:36 AM PDT up reply actions

Thank you #10

for translating this. Nic rocks! Can’t wait until next season.

It seems to me that the French team will be a strong competitor for Euro 2009, maybe even stronger than the Spanish team. What do you think? – Elgin

VENTURA: It's drowning. It gives you the complete sensation that you are drowning. It is no good, because you -- I'll put it to you this way, you give me a waterboard, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I'll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders.

by 22baylor on Jun 9, 2009 12:02 PM PDT reply actions

the French team did not qualify yet fo Euro 2009, Spain has been qualified for a long time

There’s only one qualifier remaining this summer and we need to beat Italy and Finland, which seems faisible.
Even if France manage to play in Euro 2009 we sucked at a lot of tournaments lately so I wouldn’t say we’re a strong competitor. We did poorly in last world cup and we did not qualify for the Beijing Olympic Games. The short term objective for the team is to get qualifyied for the Euro and then get qualified for the Olympic games in 2012 in London.
Virtually we have a good team but we sucked too much lately to be considered a competitor.

by chuky on Jun 9, 2009 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions