The Boston Celtics had three first-round picks in the 2016 NBA Draft. Their first one went toward selecting Jaylen Brown. The next time they came on the clock, they took Guerschon Yabusele.
The six-foot-eight power forward from France spent two years in Boston. His bow-and-arrow three-point celebration was a hit, and his upbeat personality lent itself to being a positive influence on the locker room and work environment.
However, Yabusele's on-court productivity was minimal. In his two years with the Celtics, he averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 6.6 minutes of floor time across 74 games.
He took his talents overseas after the 2018-19 campaign. There, his game blossomed. Yabusele got to showcase that while playing for host country France at the Olympics last summer.
GUERSCHON YABUSELE ON LEBRON JAMES. 😳
📺 NBC and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/cjrH6Q9Epd
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024
His performance during the Olympics earned Yabusele another shot in the NBA. He spent last season as a rare bright spot in a disastrous year for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Returning as a more seasoned 29-year-old, he averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He also converted on 38 percent of the 3.9 threes he hoisted.
Guerschon Yabusele reflects on his time with the Celtics
As Yabusele prepares for unrestricted free agency this summer, he spoke with HoopsHype about his basketball journey. As he reflected, he praised Boston for the organization's role in his NBA comeback.
"Even though I was not with Boston anymore, I learned so much from that season," shared Yabusele. "And it helped me for the second part of my career after that. It really pushed me. It really, like, I had that mentality of loving that basketball. Because I know I love basketball. But if you're in a situation that you don't play, it's hard. I missed it. And I was like, you know what? I want to play now. I want to be somewhere where I always play. So, I always try to pick the right situation now for me."
That once meant playing overseas. Yabusele's career took him to China, France, and a three-year stint with Real Madrid. His experience with the latter included winning a EuroLeague title.
But now, as he tries to find the right situation, he'll have NBA suitors offering him meaningful opportunities.
"I really, really want to stay in the NBA now that I have a real reason over there. I want to do some more," expressed Yabusele. "Watching the playoffs, you watch those guys having fun, you always look, I want to be there. My competitor side is really pushing me to work hard this summer; try to get everything that I can to come back next season and crush it even more."