After starring for Team France at the Paris Olympics en route to his second consecutive silver medal, veteran power forward Guerschon Yabusele was able to secure an exciting fresh chance at NBA redemption. Per Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire, he logged averages of 14.0 points on 51.9 percent field goal shooting and 3.3 boards a night over the summer and proved a formidable foe for a star-studded Team USA in their gold medal meeting.
The former NBA first-round draft pick is making a return to the world’s top basketball league — with an opportunity to legitimately compete for a championship, to boot.
It initially seemed unlikely that the 6-foot-8 big man would be back in the NBA this season, but he ultimately inked a one-year, veteran’s minimum with the Philadelphia 76ers. Since 2021, Yabusele has been plying his trade with one of the most consistently excellent squads in EuroLeague, Spanish club Real Madrid. He was actually under contract with Real Madrid through the 2024-25 season but negotiated a buyout to pursue this NBA comeback.
Philadelphia team president Daryl Morey has almost completely reconfigured his roster around incumbent All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Read More: French Star Nearing Deal With Philadelphia 76ers to Return to NBA
Yabusele reflected on his next league opportunity Friday at the Sixers’ practice facility, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Guerschon Yabusele #7 of France dunks the ball on LeBron James #6 of Team USA during the Men’s Gold Medal game between Team France and Team USA on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris… Guerschon Yabusele #7 of France dunks the ball on LeBron James #6 of Team USA during the Men’s Gold Medal game between Team France and Team USA on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 10, 2024 in Paris, France.
Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images
“Not a lot of people have a chance of second shots in the NBA,” Yabusele noted. “So when the opportunity comes, you don’t think twice. … I feel like I just wanted to better myself and [say], ‘Let’s try.'”
Yabusele was selected with the No. 16 pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA Draft, but he opted to stay abroad in 2016-17, playing for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Shanghai Sharks.
During his two NBA seasons for some deep Celtics squads from 2017-19, Yabusele appeared in 74 total regular season contests (five starts), averaging 2.3 points on .442/.323/.682 shooting splits and 1.4 rebounds in 7.1 minutes a night.
“I feel like if you don’t come back in the NBA, then you play your whole career and you be like, ‘If, if, if …,'” Yabusele added. “I was for sure comfortable in Europe,” said Yabusele, who has been playing professionally since 2013. “I cannot lie about it. But, like I always say — and I express myself about it — I wanted to come back to the NBA.”
In the offseason, the Sixers brought in nine-time All-Star forward Paul George, switchy forward Caleb Martin, veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon, forward KJ Martin, center Andre Drummond, and point guard Reggie Jackson. Philadelphia also retained Maxey, forward Kelly Oubre Jr. and guard Kyle Lowry. The club now looks like one of the deepest in the Eastern Conference and seems poised to compete with the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and reigning champion Celtics for supremacy.
“They were the only team that gave me the shot, so it was just the situation,” Yabusele said. “Everything looks pretty good for me, so I’m excited to join the team.”
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