Nanjing (China) (AFP)
Captain Nicolas Batum sounded the revolt that allowed the Blues to return the situation against Australia (67-59) Sunday in Beijing and win the bronze medal at the World Cup, his fifth personal in a big tournament.
The winger has scored seven points in this period (9 in total) where the French have been up to 15 points behind. His passes and defense contributions were also crucial.
"It was unbelievable!" For those who criticized the game before (against Argentina), without Nicolas, we do not win tonight, "said the pivot Rudy Gobert.
Batum, 30, is not the one who takes the last decisive shoot, not the one whose name appears in the sheet of "stats", but the multitude of tasks he performs, it is better to play the team of France: he is the "facilitator".
"We are a team, as long as we win in the end, I'm fine, make it easier for others, make sure that Evan (Fournier) is good, make life easier for Rudy (Gobert), give him the ball you need inside, create spaces for Nando (De Colo) or Frank (Ntilikina), it's my job ", explained during the Mondial the native of Lisieux, trained in basketball at Le Mans.
- "He does not claim the ball" -
His favorite field is defense. Tall (2.03m), with long arms and a nice relaxation, he extinguishes the enemy shooters based on his science of basketball, he who has played for eleven seasons in the NBA (first in Portland and then in Charlotte for four years).
Warning! Batum is not a needy worker limited to shadow work. He knows how to take responsibility in attack, but only when the team needs it, as in the beginning of the second half critical against the "Boomers".
"He does not claim the ball, he completes, it's an art that is rarely measured on the outside, he does not need to score to be essential," said coach Vincent Collet.
International for ten years, European champion in 2013, Batum (147 caps), had its hour of glory the following year at the World Cup. He had scored 62 points in the last two games: 35 in the semi-final lost narrowly against Serbia (90-85) and 27 the next day in the victory over Lithuania (95-93) for the bronze medal. But from this exploit was born a misunderstanding: the public would have liked him to be the locomotive whereas he always preferred to be the one who keeps the wagons together.
- "It's the catalyst" -
"We tried to put myself in a role that was never mine, I think I have to score twenty points per game, but I've never put more than fifteen points average in a competition or a season. have never been a scorer, I've always been the "glue guy" (the man-glue, the one who keeps the pieces together), "says Batum.
When Boris Diaw retired internationally in 2017 and had to appoint a new captain, Vincent Collet turned to Batum, whose role in the field resembles that held by the "President". "He has grown in maturity, experience, he feels more assured in his relationship to others," says Collet. "Vincent and I know each other very well, I try to be his relay on the field," said the player.
"Nico is the catalyst, he's always there to reassure and motivate when he needs to, he's the one with the most experience with Nando, it's good to have the passion of youth, but also the hindsight and the experience of those who have been there for a long time.In the field, he remains an excellent defender, someone who can put the baskets and especially oil the attack.He does not care to put two points or 20. Having this mentality is important in the national team, "summarizes Gobert.
© 2019 AFP