Nicolas Batum is not looking forward to the return trip to France, and it’s hard to blame him.
The Los Angeles Clippers forward and French national team veteran was stunned on Sunday after Latvia rallied to beat France 88-86 in their Group H game in the FIBA World Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia. The loss sent France, who had finished third at the past two World Cups, home before the tournament’s knockout stage.
“I’ve never been ashamed with this jersey, but this is the first time I’m ashamed,” Batum said, via CBS Sports. “I’m scared to go home because we let a lot of people down. A lot of people believed in us to do something special. We didn’t do it.”
While France has a year to figure it out before competition heads to Paris, this latest outing for the French was unquestionably rough.
“It’s very hard,” Fournier said, via The Associated Press. “Very tough. Not much to say. We didn’t think we would leave the tournament like this. We have to learn from it and come back next year. There isn’t anything else to do.”
