When Guerschon Yabusele committed to coming back stateside to play in the NBA, he was taking a risk. He was able to get a minimum contract from the 76ers, but due to rules, Yabusele had to resolve a contract buyout with Real Madrid.
But the former Celtics first-round pick’s bet on himself paid off. While the 76ers were mediocre and battled injuries, Yabusele was a bright spot throughout the season. In his NBA comeback, he averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 70 games (43 starts) for the Sixers. In an interview with Basketball Network, Yabusele reflected on his season and path back to the league.
“The main thing, for me, when I decided to go back to the NBA was to enjoy this time,” Yabusele said. “Because the first time, when it stopped, and you realize it’s done fast. It took me five years to come back. So I really decided the main thing was to go over there to enjoy and gain that experience and try to get better. I was happy that I was able to perform.”
Yabusele will garner interest this summer as an unrestricted free agent. Philadelphia will likely look to keep him around as it elected not to trade the forward at the deadline even amid a lost season. Yabusele showed off his new shooting touch as he knocked down 38.0% of his 3-pointers last year. Considering he’s a physical wing at 6-foot-8, those are a lot of transferrable skills for NBA teams.
As Yabusele pointed out, an NBA future was far from guaranteed for him. He was picked 16th overall by the Celtics in the 2016 draft. While Yabusele spent two seasons in Boston from 2017-19, he couldn’t stick in the NBA initially. He bounced around overseas, developing his game, before landing with Real Madrid.
The breakout for Yabusele was during France’s run to the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Yabusele was a key member for the home squad, which included the now-famous dunk on LeBron James in the gold medal game. Considering his success with the Sixers last season, it’ll be interesting to see how much Yabusele can get in the open market.
“It was a good season,” Yabusele said. “All the ups and downs. I was able to go out there and really experience, for the first time, being in the league.”