Nicolas Batum changes jersey number to honor mother

For all seven years of his NBA career, Nicolas Batum has worn the number 88, but it was never his first choice. It was his seventh choice, actually. Back in March, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian interviewed each member of the Portland Trail Blazers about why they selected their jersey number, and Batum indicated that his first choice would have been the number five, which his mother picked for him as a youth in France. Since it was unavailable, he chose the number 88 to represent his birth year.

"The story behind why Nicolas Batum wears No. 88 is as unusual as the number itself. He originally tried to get No. 5, the number his mother selected for him the first time he played basketball in Normandy, France. But Rudy Fernandez had that number. So Batum asked for No. 8. That belonged to Martell Webster, he was told. Six times Batum requested a number. Six times he was denied because a current Blazers player already wore the number or it was retired. Finally, on his seventh request, Batum asked for No. 88 – a number so unique it couldn’t be denied. He settled on 88 because he was born in 1988. “It’s my birthday,” he said. “I’m going to stay 88 as long as I’m with the Trail Blazers.”"

As Batum begins a new chapter of his basketball career in Charlotte, he is finally able to bring a few pages from an old chapter with him. One day after being traded to the Hornets, Batum posted this picture to his Instagram account, accompanied by the words: “New beginning #BuzzCity”.

Although leaving Portland was not ideal for the forward, he has embraced his new home as classily as we have come to expect. He is already eager assimilate the culture of a new fanbase. I am sure he will find a way to thrive in Charlotte. He will do so wearing the number five, as he has always wanted.

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