Nico Batum relishes ‘good memories’ from Sixers stint, but pleased to return to Clippers

Nico Batum is reminded of his six months with the 76ers whenever he walks into son Ayden’s bedroom, where his No. 40 jersey is displayed.

Sunday night, Batum took the Wells Fargo Center court for the first time since leaving Philly to return to the Los Angeles Clippers as a free agent over the summer. Batum’s stat line — three points on 1-for-5 shooting, three rebounds, and three assists in 10 first-half minutes — from the Clippers’ dominant 125-99 victory does not exactly pop off the page. Yet he is the type of role player — a veteran whom Clippers coach Ty Lue continues to praise for his basketball IQ, defensive versatility, and ability to move the ball as a “connector” — that the Sixers have missed during a dreadful, injury-riddled 3-13 start.

Though Batum still relishes his time in Philly, the 35-year-old chose family and familiarity at this point in his 17-year career.

“It was the best situation for me [for] life, when I mark all the boxes,” Batum said from his locker before Sunday’s game. “Nothing against the city [of Philly] or against the team. Just something I had to do.”

This was not the sexiest return game at the Wells Fargo Center this weekend, or even in this Sixers-Clippers matchup. The NBA coincidentally brought former (and now-reviled) guards Ben Simmons and Harden, who at the 2022 deadline were traded for each other, back to Philly in consecutive games.

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But Batum’s departure was impactful. Entering the offseason, sources told The Inquirer that the Frenchman was at the top of the list of free agents the Sixers hoped to retain. Batum’s decision reunited him with Lue, whom he credits with prolonging his career. It also allowed Batum’s two young children to stay at the same Los Angeles-area school and home, after they did not fully relocate to Philly. In between basketball responsibilities, Batum can again partake in more dad and husband activities.

“Kids [are] happy, wife is happy, and I’m happy,” Batum said.

Also happy? Lue, who on Sunday called Batum “one of my favorite players” and lamented that, “When we traded him, it really hurt me.” Batum entered Sunday averaging four points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 17 games for a Clippers team on a five-game winning streak despite missing superstar Kawhi Leonard and key scorer Norman Powell.

“[He is] someone who sees the game in slo-mo,” said reserve big man Mo Bamba, who has now been Batum’s teammate with the Sixers and Clippers, “just because he’s been there, done that — almost everything.”

“Almost everything” includes a Philly stint that Batum enjoyed more than he expected.

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Because he was the oldest player on the Sixers roster when he arrived in that early-season trade, he acknowledges today that his initial belief was, “I don’t think they expect anything from me.” Instead, he became an important rotation player trusted with prominent tasks, such as defending the opposing team’s best player, and super-detailed ones, such as always inbounding the ball during crunch time. His 20-point outburst — including six three-pointers, and an end-of-game block — in a play-in victory against the Miami Heat helped propel the Sixers into the playoffs’ first round.

Batum on Sunday reiterated his comments from after the Sixers’ season-ending Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks: that he embraced the intensity of Philly fans.

“I’ve never played in front of fans that cared so much about their teams,” Batum said, “in good ways and bad ways. … This city is not made for everybody, though. It is not easy to play here, and I loved it, actually. Getting booed, I loved it, actually.

“They show up early. They support you for 48 minutes, no matter what. And they’re going to let you know if you messed up.”

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Batum got another taste of those boos Sunday. But they were directed at his former team as the Sixers face-planted into arguably their worst performance of this disastrous start to a season that began with massive expectations.

The game for Batum and his team, meanwhile, was much more enjoyable. He fist-bumped Sixers staffers at the scorer’s table, then received a smattering of applause (but no tribute video) when he entered the game with Bamba late in the first quarter. Within his first minute of action, Batum tipped a rebound out to Kevin Porter Jr. for a second-chance bucket. In the second quarter, Batum buried a three-pointer in front of the Sixers bench.

Then as the third-quarter clock ticked down, Batum slipped on his warm-up jacket, correctly predicting he would never reenter the blowout that his team led by as many as 33 points.

After the final buzzer, Batum hung around to chat with injured Sixers superstar Joel Embiid and new addition Guerschon Yabusele, with whom he played on the French national team at the Olympics.

Batum then left the visitors’ locker room with a signed Tyrese Maxey jersey slung over his shoulder, a gift for Ayden. He can hang it next to the Sixers jersey already displayed in his bedroom, another keepsake from Dad’s brief-yet-memorable stint in Philly.

“It wasn’t easy [to leave],” Batum said, “because I have nothing bad to say.”