Guerschon Yabusele vows to seize second shot at NBA with Sixers: ‘When the opportunity comes, you don’t think twice’

Guerschon Yabusele decompressed following the Olympics on the island of St. Martin with his wife and friends — and vowed to only answer phone calls from his agent.

When one arrived, Yabusele’s response was, “Don’t get me excited if it’s nothing.”

It was something. The 76ers offered a veteran’s minimum contract to the 28-year-old forward, who took a buyout from Real Madrid. That fulfilled Yabusele’s goal of returning to the NBA, after spending parts of two seasons with the Boston Celtics from 2017-19.

“Not a lot of people have a chance of second shots in the NBA,” Yabusele said Friday from the Sixers’ practice facility. “So when the opportunity comes, you don’t think twice. … I feel like I just wanted to better myself and [say], ‘Let’s try.’

“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 …’”

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This opportunity for Yabusele arrives following a strong Olympics performance for France, winning the silver medal and averaging 14 points on 51.9% shooting and 3.3 rebounds in six games. The only French player who averaged more points during the Games? Reigning NBA Rookie of the Year and generational prospect Victor Wembanyama.

Before that, Yabusele had spent parts of three seasons with Spanish power Real Madrid, where he credited “amazing coaches” with helping him improve his three-point shot (44.5% last season), his understanding of details such as ball and body movement, and his mentality to “control the way I play.” Real Madrid won the 2023 Euroleague championship, and Liga ACB titles in 2022 and 2024.

“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.”

Yabusele gives the Sixers another forward, a notable roster need even after an impressive summer headlined by the signing of perennial All-Star forward Paul George. Yabusele is expected to compete with KJ Martin and Ricky Council IV for minutes behind projected starter Caleb Martin, another newcomer. The 6-foot-8, 270-pound Yabusele said Friday that he is also willing to play some small-ball center.

“At this time of my career, I’m not here to pick and choose,” he said. “I wanted a second shot, and it’s here, so I will just try to fill in and be the best that I can.”

He also believes he can still draw on his time with the Celtics, when he appeared in 74 games over two seasons and averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 6.6 minutes. He valued the mentorship of teammates, such as former Sixers Al Horford and Marcus Morris, who told him “to stay focused and keep working and not stop — all these little things that, when you’re a kid, you need to hear.”

And when asked about returning to the NBA with a Celtics rival, Yabusele chuckled and said, “To be honest, I didn’t even realize until I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I remember, when we played Philly, we had that thing going on.”

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Yabusele will also lean on his connections to his home country, and the Sixers. He is friends with Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who spent his first two NBA seasons in Philly and once took Yabusele around the city. He talked with the recently departed Nico Batum, who praised coach Nick Nurse and the situation Yabusele would enter. And he has chatted a bit in the past with 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, who also has a French passport and speaks the language.

Following that phone call that interrupted his post-Olympics vacation, it was tough for Yabausele to stay quiet about his big news.

Friday, he stood inside the Sixers’ facility, hopeful to seize his second NBA opportunity.

“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.”