:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61938831/96329185.jpg.0.jpg)
The Trail Blazers took a chance in the 2008 NBA Draft by acquiring the rights to French forward Nicolas Batum. After seven productive seasons with Portland, Batum is still influencing youngsters in France as a member of the Charlotte Hornets.
Batum, and French basketball were recently featured on an episode of Vice Sports’ The Way We Ball. The twenty-minute video explained how France emphasizes fundamentals, and how today’s group of French NBA players are acting as role models for the younger generation.
His days in Portland are firmly in the rear-view mirror, but this episode still provides an interesting look at one of the most productive international pipelines for NBA talent.
Check out the complete episode here.