{"id":110650,"date":"2024-12-05T10:00:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T15:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=110650"},"modified":"2024-12-05T09:15:14","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T14:15:14","slug":"batum-rupert-french-basketball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/05\/batum-rupert-french-basketball\/","title":{"rendered":"Nicolas Batum Elevates French Basketball With Rayan Rupert"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guard\u00a0Rayan Rupert<\/a> has become a promising piece in the Blazers rebuild.\u00a0 That is due to his Nicolas Batum<\/a> mentorship, who also learned in the Portland organization.<\/p>\n

Nicolas Batum Elevates French Basketball With Rayan Rupert<\/h2>\n

The NBA has become a global league for its viewers and players. Superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>, Nikola Jokic<\/a>, and Luka Doncic<\/a> hail from countries outside of North America. It has broadened the league’s horizons, as foreign players continue to showcase their talent.<\/p>\n

France is a country that has constantly produced excellent NBA players. Tony Parker<\/a>, Batum, and Rudy Gobert<\/a> immediately come to mind. The nation has produced some strong names as of late with Victor Wembanyama<\/a> and Bilal Coulibaly<\/a>, and Rupert looks to be next in line with Portland.<\/p>\n

Rupert is Learning Under the Batum Mentorship<\/h3>\n

Ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft, Rayan<\/a> and Nico had similar paths as lesser-known prospects. Moreover, Rupert was a second-round pick, whereas Batum only received a late first-round selection. Despite the lower expectations, both still needed to develop in Rip City.<\/p>\n

At one point, Batum got the label of being the worst player in the league. He used that tag to keep working harder and reach his level. For Rupert, he has progressed well from a seldom-used reserve to a regular rotation player in his second year.<\/p>\n

This season, the two Frenchmen have already played against each other twice. Rayan and Nico met up for a photo afterwards, and Batum pointed out that Rupert was once a member of his basketball camps in France.<\/p>\n

\n

From MVP of my basketball camp to the NBA \ud83e\udef6\ud83c\udffd @rayanrupert12<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/A0vDMYoPBU<\/a><\/p>\n

— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) December 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n