CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ The Charlotte Hornets' Nic Batum has some things he'd like to say, but they may not be exactly what you'd expect.
In an exclusive Observer interview, Batum offered an apology for not playing up to the level of his massive contract. He also said he was determined not to be an "a _ hole" about the fact he never plays anymore. He praised the Charlotte Hornets for their reliance on youth in this losing season, even though it has come at his expense.
"This franchise has got a bright future," Batum said, "but I don't think I'll be part of it."
Batum, 31, doesn't mean he's leaving anytime soon. The five-year, $120-million contract he signed in the summer of 2016 makes him virtually untradeable, and this year's trade deadline has already passed. Batum's contract _ still the most lucrative in Charlotte pro sports history _ doesn't run out until after the 2020-21 season. And he knows he and the Hornets haven't done nearly what everyone hoped for when he signed it.
"I apologize to the people here," Batum said, "because they put so much faith in me. And it didn't go well.... It didn't work out. But what do I have to do? Because I'm still here."
Batum has decided the best thing he can do is be the world's most expensive cheerleader, trying to salvage this awkward situation.
It is truly awkward. Batum gets paid far more than any other Hornet. He's healthy. And yet he didn't play a single minute in February.
Hornets coach James Borrego, determined to commit to Charlotte's core of young players, has benched Batum for 15 straight games entering Thursday night's home contest against the Nuggets. The last time Batum played was Jan. 24th, when the Hornets (21-40) gave him 33 minutes. Not coincidentally, that game was in France _ Batum's home country. He walked off the court after that game, flew back to America and hasn't played since.
Yet watch Batum on the bench. He applauds constantly. He stands up so often that the fans seated right behind him should get a partial refund. He has mediated enough officiating disputes between his teammates and the referees that he figures he has saved Hornets from getting a half-dozen technical fouls this year.
As for cheering his teammates as opposed to privately pouting, Batum said he's not "mad" about the situation he finds himself in, but allowed that he is "frustrated." Still, he said, he's determined not to let that frustration bleed into his demeanor on a team where a number of younger players are watching to see how he will handle this.
"I don't want to be an a _ hole," Batum told the Observer. "I don't want to be selfish ... I don't want to be that guy who's like, 'OK, let's go out tonight. Coach sucks. Don't show up. You shoot 25 times a game; don't listen to him.' No. I won't do that. I don't need that. They don't need that."
