One-on-One with Mo Bamba and Nico Batum

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Thank you, thank you.

Great to have you. And we talk about the schedule in the NBA, including a game day, but the travel days. When it's a travel day, what city in the league do you look forward to going to most.

This year has definitely been Orlando, just because I'm familiar with the city. I've been there five years, just kind of knew the ins and outs of the city, and it was just great to get back to in the middle of December because of the the warm weather.

You got to play in one of the two games there.

Yeah, I got to play in one of the two games there. It was a great game. We ended up winning. We won both times down there, which felt really good. But the one that I played in was it was the first game back, and that one that one felt really good.

And then on an off day, describe your perfect off day.

A perfect off day would probably wake up like around get a nice little sleeping like around ten ten thirty, wake up, have a nice little egg sandwich with some buttered toasted toasted white bread with some buttered you know, some butter in there, egg and cheese sandwich. Gets to the gym, get a nice little workout, nice low sweating, get treatment, get a massage, come back home, chill basically

Chill, what video games?

I've been playing a little two K lately, been playing Madden a good amount lately, more sports gamer, yet more of a sports game, a little bit of Fortnite since they came back with the old season.

But those are the three games.

Your background New York, the greater Philadelphia area as well, so you were you saw the NBA from a distance in some of these local teams. But since you've been in the league, is there anything that would surprise fans about life in the NBA or that surprised you.

Yeah, depending on who you are, obviously, and you know your family, some guys married some guys or you know, single.

Bachelors or whatever.

But it's a lot of free time on your hands, you know, And that's both good and bad because that's when you fin find trouble depending on who you are, obviously, but it's a lot of free time on your hands, especially like after practice, you had a lot of free time. But one thing that might surprise a lot of people is just how much of the day like practice may take, you know, and then it's a lot of free time.

And your prep basketball at the West Town School, you were near the Sixers at that time. So now that you're a first year seventy six er, what's been your best memory?

I remember, I think it was like my senior year or junior year. Daniel Chef, who was a Villanova legend. He played a preseason game against the Sixers, and I remember I think Ko was on that team.

He was like a rookie. No no, no, Ko.

I thought you met the Sixers team was a he was a rookie, I believe.

And another memory I actually have was the first NBA floor I actually like got to like shoot around and play on was the Sixers floor at the Wells Fargo Center. It was like a workout and random day in the middle of the summer, one of our coaches hit me up and he was like, hey, like, we're renting out. We got access to the sixers floor, and I remember driving like two hours from New York because I was just so excited to just be out there on the

Cool moment for me.

That is a very cool moment. Indeed, And for time purposes, we're going to do our rapid fire around here and other guys have had more time to think about this dinner table question, but we're going to group it into the rapid fire. So you plus four guests, what's your dream dinner table?

All right?

Definitely ought to have Barack Obama in there. That's That's one of the I don't really get starstruck anymore because I feel like I've met everyone I needed, you know, wanted to ever meet. But Barack Obama was one of those one of those guys and one of those people who I would love to just sit down and just have a chat with. And then the other three could be anybody, you know, I might throw on Kevin Hart, because he's not only is he funny, but he's actually

And then.

Could be anybody like Kevin Hart the other Yeah, I'll like Kevin Hart bringing to some celebrity guests.

Favorite superhero.

Favorite superhero probably be Black Panther.

If you didn't play basketball, what sport would you play?

Tennis? Maybe?

What would your DJ name be?

Just DJ Mobamba.

The vet who made the biggest impact on you as a young player.

Probably Tobias because I mean I've known him before before coming to the Sixers. I remember sitting down with him. He lives right upstairs from me in Orlando. I remember sitting down with him right before I think my fourth year, and he was just telling me, like, you got to bring it this year, you.

Know what I mean.

We were just sitting there chatting and talking about a whole bunch of different stuff. But he's been really impactful, just different stuff even off the court, like you know, financial stuff, you know how to manage stress, expectations, all of that.

He's been a really really good vet for me.

What's your favorite place to visit.

There's a little small village in the south of France named Saint Basil. I went down there with my girlfriend's family and it was it was a great trip. You know, it's not really much to do there, but it was very it was warm, it's very scenic. We were like kind of in the valley.

Great trip.

What's a place that you would wish to visit someday?

Probably like Bali, Like like that little somewhere, you know, those islands in the far east right over Australia. I think that's somewhere where I want to want to.

This needs to be a specific time, but favorite time of.

Day man, probably like around two o'clock.

Favorite color sixers uniform, the navy or the red, A lot of red because I think wearing it has impacted decisions today. Which teammate would you bring with you to an important family dinner?

No? No?

And you've maybe to bias maybe?

And finally, what do your coaches and teammates call you? All right? Mo, thanks so much for joining us.

Appreciate it. Thank you.

Th six eight from friends Boom Boom, Nico ba Dooom Nico Batoom.

Welcome to the seventy six Ers Insiders podcast. Thank you for sitting down with us. I want to start here, how did you become such a good inbounder?

I don't know. I mean I think I've been doing that for a very long time.

I've been putting the situation in for a while. I mean I've been in the NBA for like sixteen years now, and I think I've been doing that since my second or third year, Like big game situation, So I kin used to it now, like playoff games, like play game under pressure, and I'm pretty.

Much used to it now sixteen years.

What's the biggest change you've seen in the NBA from when you started until now?

When I stopped playing, there was like two legit big men, like in the starning lineup. You need it to seventh footer like in this state inside to play the game. And now it's just pretty much four guards and one big.

Now sometimes you're the big man.

Sometime I'm the big man, and sometimes the big men play punt guard like a point forward used to be a point for a nice point selling that. So yeah, a lot of change in fifteen years. Still going basketball.

I love asking international players this question, what do you think the biggest difference between guys that grew up playing in the States and guys that grew up playing internationally is.

I think the way you they're teaching you the game of basketball. I mean the way I was when I was younger, Like the way they would teach me the game and the way I play, Like when I see, like, for example, my son, like when I go to his practice, he's seven years old, and the way like it's being taught the game is totally different, you know, And I don't know, like because we grew up I mean we play against pros and grown men very early, don't really

What's something that your son is learning that you didn't learn or something. You watch him learn and you're like, who wah, whoa he doesn't need.

To do No, I mean the way I mean he's doing stuff, like like I didn't know how to do that when.

I was seven eight years old.

So it's positive.

Yeah, some stuff stuff I might just get sometimes, like can miss some steps, like the way you play you earn the game. But I mean he's too young. He's having fun, so I don't really care about it right now.

Good parenting.

When you think about you're sixteen in the NBA Philadelphia seventy six ers, what's the best part of your job right now?

I'm in the NBA. I mean, I'm a basketball player in the NBA. I realized the chance I have, Like you know, we've been there so long. I know I'm not a lot of famer. I'm not an All Star or whatever, but I'm still seeking. You're in this stick and still playing, and I'm playing time for a very

You shared something with me when we were in Chicago.

You talked about having a really good time with this team and enjoying the energy that's here.

What's the best part of this team?

You know, like especially right now, you know we're going we go through tough times and because we missed your best players and we're sticking together no matter what, that's the good the good part of this team. I mean you can have easily guys like pointing fingers, finding sk series or just ever to go to his own way that I cam the hero whatever. No, are we even if it's tough right now, we're still sticking together. No,

Take me back to young Nico. What was your favorite subject in school?

Matt?

What was your least favorite subject in school?

French?

Actually, really it's French is stuff.

I believe it. I can't speak French.

French, can you? No? Now? French is not easy though, it's very very.

Tough, beautiful language, though, is I like listening to people speak French esthetically much more pleasing than English.

Right, I'm French.

I don't really understand that actually people like a lot of people say that pretty much French is language of blah. I'm like, you should really learn her, like when we talk like, I don't think.

It's a it's the language of hate sometimes.

Yeah, so yeah, we're not means French and stuff that I was like, what are you good in French?

In school?

You're hosting a dinner party, a hypothetical dinner party tomorrow night. You can have four guests dead, are alive, people you know, people you don't know. Who do you invite to the table?

My dad I lost. My dad was three years old, so my dad's for sure.

It's a great answer.

Oh MJ I all to no?

Like which one?

Both? Actually? Oh? Why not?

Okay?

Both?

Yeah, that's a good one. Both actually and NASA nondetta great table.

What are you guys gonna eat?

French food? French and African food?

Awesome? What's something that scares you?

Oh?

Being a dad and that change everything for me. I got two kids.

We get two kids, So I got a boy seven year old and a daughter three year old.

So now anything I put to them, Yes.

What's the best gift you've ever given someone?

You know, we got a chance to be successful and buy your house, to your own family and make sure like your wife and kids, like I said, and you okay, they're okay. I mean I think I've done my job. I think that's a gift I've made to them.

It's fantastic. What's the best gift you've ever received?

My two kids?

These are good answers, these are meaningful.

I'm dead terrorist, Like you know, when before like you became like a family guy and a dad, you don't understand what life is. And since we have those our family and my wife that gave me those two kids, I mean, this is the best gift I ever had for sure.

Who are you closest to on this team?

I mean Jordan and I have known each other for a while now, I mean I met him before he got drafted to like it was kinny and young and could we wear the same roots? You know, it's from Cameroon and my dad's from Cameron and my old dad side and my name from Cameron, so we have that connection and we both speak frenchs Oh yeah.

Joey okay, rapid fire around, no thinking, just answers. Ready, Yes, he's your favorite superhero Batman.

If you didn't play basketball.

What would you play tennis player?

What would your DJ name be?

Wow?

And where would you be DJing? Like South of France?

Probably my DJ name?

Oh, I don't know, DJ Nico. Keep it simple, fair enough.

Branding is easier if you're just DJ Nico. That's fair.

Who's the vet that made the biggest impact on you when you were young in your career?

Brandon Roy?

Favorite place to visit friends, somewhere you've never visited, but.

Wished to Australia actor?

Who would play you in a movie? What's miss favorite time of day?

Morning?

But like specifically what time on.

The clock they say? Seven am?

What's your favorite color? Sixers uniform?

Red?

You walk into the locker room, you see red and you're like, eh.

I wish you would bring the black one two thousand and one back?

Those are tough. The fan favorite?

Oh, I mean that was my favorite one.

If you had to bring a teammate to a family dinner, who would you bring.

Joe out here? He's only one speaking ferential.

Oh so he just fits in at the table. It's just more efficient. I got you. What are your coaches and teammates call.

You Nico Nico.

YEAHY call me Nico Nico.

Thank you so much for joining us, of course,