“In our national anthem, we talk about blood, too. We’re willing to spill blood on the court,” Victor Wembanyama made the bold statement after France secured their Gold medal game participation. Nicolas Batum, the French captain, took that literally as he was captured bleeding from above his right eyebrow in the final of the Paris Olympics. But that wasn’t enough to secure the win for the host country as Les Bleus’ wait for ultimate glory has been painfully prolonged for another 4 years.

But why was he bleeding? Was it Steph Curry who caused the bloody mess? The cameras failed to catch the exact moment when Batum got nicked, but the Frenchman had to leave the court to patch his wounds as Team USA was getting ready to celebrate their 98-87 win to capture the 5th straight gold medal. This was France’s 2nd consecutive loss in the Olympic final after losing out to the same team in 2020!

Nicolas Batum gave his everything on the floor, including the drops of blood, as the 35-year-old frantically looked over the watch after sinking his shot from deep with 2 minutes left in the final quarter. Batum finished the game with a 5-8-4 stat line and for the 35-year-old, this was his final game on the Olympics stage, more on that later. The forward is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the NBA, but even his rim protection wasn’t enough to stave off a Stephen Curry barrage late in the game.

The Dubs ace sank 3 from the deep in the final quarter, taking his points tally to 24 with 8 successful attempts from downtown. This also meant Curry had scored 60 points in the last two games for Team USA after hitting a slump in the early stages of the tournament. Curry was 5-20 from 3-point shooting in the first 4 games but exploded to life in the semifinal against Serbia and continued his rampage to the final.

His performance made Batum’s bleeding a running gag, as fans joked about how Curry’s late-game brilliance left the vet wounded. “Steph Curry shot so unbelievable that Nic Batum started crying blood,” a fan wrote. But jokes apart, this WAS the dead end for the Frenchman’s career with his beloved Les Bleus, as the Clippers man decided to close the closet on his prestigious jersey.

Nicolas Batum announces retirement from the France national team

It was a tough night for Nicolas Batum. Not only did his team slip during the final lap, but the game against Team USA was his last in the national colors. After the game, he conveyed his decision to the media, putting a full stop to his 15-year career. “It was my last one with this jersey,” he said. “I spent fifteen years playing 4 World Cups, 4 EuroBaskets, and 4 Olympics. I did what I had to do: 7 medals. I’m happy,” Batum said in a post-game interview.

The buzzer marked an end to his career, spanning 3 decades. His first Olympic appearance came in 2012 in London. His journey ended for that edition after a loss to Spain and a controversial action. Batum punched Spanish player Juan Carlos Navarro in the groin and after the game said, “I wanted to give him a good reason to flop,” before ultimately apologizing.

In 2020, France went all the way to the finals thanks to his brilliant block on Klemen Prepelic in the semifinal that finished 90–89 in favor of Batum’s team. They eventually fell to Team USA in the final, stopping Batum from adorning his career with a gold medal.

The night in Paris also marked the end of an era on the other side of the court as LeBron James and Steph Curry bid farewell to the Olympics. The final chapter for Batum could’ve been a glorious one, but regardless of it, he can proudly say that he gave his blood to France and fought a bloody hard battle against a super-over-powered Team USA spearheaded by LeBron, Steph, and KD.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.