Nicolas Batum has learned a few painful lessons through the 14 years since he was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 25th pick, via the Houston Rockets, in 2008.
The 34-year-old told Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times about his early days in Portland and his relationship with then Blazers Assistant Coach Monty Williams.
He highlights his poor showing at the 2008 Summer League, his trade to the Charlotte Hornets in 2015 and almost leaving the league in 2020, before being handed a lifeline by the Los Angeles Clippers.