CAMDEN, N.J. — Guerschon Yabusele left a prominent role with a championship-winning Real Madrid team to make an NBA comeback with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I was for sure comfortable in Europe, I cannot lie about it,” the 28-year-old forward said. “But like I always say, and I express myself about it, I always wanted to come back to the NBA and be able to have a second chance to come in here and just stay in the league.”
The Sixers, he said, were the lone team looking to give him a shot. They made him what will almost certainly be their final signing of the offseason, entering the 2024-25 campaign with 14 players and an open roster spot. Yabusele may have been the last addition but, because his skill set and size make him stand out from the crowd, he could find himself in the rotation.
While most signings late in the offseason often don’t amount to much, Yabusele may be a different case. As Philly learned last season with its September signing of Kelly Oubre Jr., just because someone is late to the party doesn’t mean they can’t make a name for themselves. Yabusele leaving Real Madrid — and working out a buyout to move on — suggests his chances of playing real minutes for the 76ers are legit.
A big, strong forward who shoots threes and rebounds hard, Yabusele was the perfect signing for what the 76ers bench needed. With the plethora of guards and pair of bigs off the bench and three projected starters that can play small forward, Yabusele fits very nicely as a power forward. He brings versatility and toughness on defense and can fit a variety of lineups, potentially even as a small-ball five. He said he'll be willing to play wherever Philly puts him.
Yabusele has spoken with Joel Embiid before and had an introductory conversation with Nick Nurse about joining the 76ers. After playing against Embiid in the Paris Olympics, he's looking forward to playing together.
“I mean, he's one of the best bigs in the world. So dominant,” he said. “His passion to play the game is really important and for me to be able to be here, I want to join in, be part of it…[Embiid] is a good guy.”
Over the course of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons with the Boston Celtics, Yabusele played in just 74 games and averaged 2.3 points per contest. After getting drafted 16th overall in the 2016 NBA draft, he played one season with the CBA's Shanghai Sharks before making the jump to the United States. Then 21 years old, he served as the co-star to Jimmer Fredette, averaging 20.9 points and a team-leading 9.4 rebounds per game.
In Boston, Yabusele was a young player on teams that hoped to compete for the championship. His pedigree from his excellence overseas wasn’t enough to earn him a big role. Now, the 28-year-old hopes to help the Sixers win the championship, a goal they will probably have to go through Yabusele's old team to achieve.
“The experience of Boston, even if I didn't have the chance to play a lot of minutes, I still have that experience,” Yabusele said. “I remember when I was talking to some of the vets like Al Horford, he was talking to me and giving me advice. So I still have those little things here running in my head. I know it's gonna be a long season and just gotta be focused and do your thing.”
Yabusele named Kyrie Irving and former Sixer Marcus Morris Sr. as some of the other veterans who provided him guidance in Boston. He recalled what it was like to come to Philly as the enemy. But positive reviews of the team from fellow French hoopers and former Sixers Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Nico Batum helped sell him on the city of Philadelphia and playing for one of the Celtics' main rivals. Batum also told Yabusele about how good of a coach Nurse is.
Guerschon Yabusele departs Real Madrid to join 76ers
Since his last stint in the NBA, Guerschon Yabusele has grown as a professional player. He said that staying patient and absorbing as much as he can from his coaches allowed him to develop the mental fortitude to deal with the ebbs and flows of seasons and improve his game.
“Obviously, my skills as a basketball player have evolved also,” he said, “but I learned a lot just in the game, the movement and all the little things. Just feel like I got better physically, mentally and all the aspects.”
The Olympics served as a massive springboard for Yabusele's journey back to the NBA. He was second in scoring for the French national team, averaging 14.0 points per game while shooting 51.9 percent from the field. His efforts were instrumental in France's silver medal, which they earned in a loss to Embiid and Team USA.
Yabusele helped Real Madrid win Liga ACB championships in 2022 and 2024 and a Euroleague title in 2023. He was still under contract with the team as the 76ers showed interest. After negotiating a buyout, he sent a heartfelt goodbye to the team and embarked on his new NBA journey, a goal he kept in the back of his mind.
“Not a lot of people have a second chance in the NBA. So when the opportunity comes, you don't think twice,” Yabusele said. “Of course, there was a buyout. I had one more year with Madrid. But I feel like I just wanted to better myself and, you know, let's try it. I feel like if you don't come back in the NBA then you play your whole career and you'll be like, ‘If, if, if this.’ I took that chance and I decided to come in here to have that second shot.”
With talks underway about a potential deal with the Sixers, Guerschon Yabusele was on vacation in Saint Martin with his family and friends. He put his phone away and swore only to check it if it was his agent. It was tough to be on edge, waiting for news about whether he would be able to make the jump back to the NBA. “But after that, especially today, I felt good and happy to be here,” Yabusele said.
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