Guerschon Yabusele has explained why he walked away from the NBA, revealing that he quickly realized there would be little room for him in the New York Knicks rotation.
The French forward has since signed with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, bringing an end to his second NBA stint after spending time with the Philadelphia 76ers, Knicks, and Chicago Bulls.
Yabusele's return to the league started positively in Philadelphia, but his situation changed after joining New York. He appeared in 41 games for the Knicks, averaging only nine minutes and failing to make a single start.
"I spoke with my wife, my agents, and my mentor," Yabusele told AS about his decision to leave. "It was an important decision. I didn't make it easily. It took a long time, and there were many questions."
"I thought about French teammates who had gone through the same thing and stayed there for years without playing. I can't do that. I was the one who decided to leave, not them. I'd rather be the one making that decision."
Yabusele understood Knicks role would be limited
Yabusele said he spoke with Knicks head coach Mike Brown about his lack of playing time, but the conversation made it clear that his opportunities would remain limited.
"He explained that he wanted each of his five starters to play 38 minutes, plus Mitch, who deserved his 26 minutes," Yabusele said. "That already gives you an idea of what lies ahead."
Guerschon Yabusele
Guerschon Yabusele
The 30-year-old was particularly surprised that other rotation players were not even included in Brown’s explanation.
"He talked about the five starters and Mitch, but he didn't mention Landry, Jordan Clarkson, or all the other players who were also there," Yabusele continued.
"Once you add all those players, technically there are no minutes left. So I understood very quickly that it was going to be a very difficult year."
Yabusele also addressed the pressure that comes with playing in New York.
"After two or three bad games, people are already calling for you to be traded," he said.
Despite his limited role, Yabusele believes the Knicks could have benefited from adopting a more European offensive approach.
"If we had moved the ball the way we did at Real Madrid, with a more European style and constantly shifting it, New York would have finished first in the conference," he claimed.
Bigger role with Bulls
Yabusele later joined the Bulls and immediately received significantly more playing time.
He averaged 10 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 26 appearances for Chicago, starting 19 games and playing 24.7 minutes per contest.
However, the French international ultimately decided to return to Europe and join Panathinaikos despite a solid end to the season in the NBA.
Adressing Wembanyama's success
Guerschon Yabusele
Guerschon Yabusele
Yabusele also praised France national team teammate Victor Wembanyama, describing the San Antonio Spurs superstar as an increasingly difficult problem for opponents.
"He is a problem that seemingly has no solution," Yabusele said. "He is still so far from reaching the best version of himself."
"Every summer, you play against him again, and he has added something new. Just when you think you know him, something new appears."
Yabusele and Wembanyama helped France win the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.