Guerschon Yabusele reveals why he signed with the Celtics’ rival

BOSTON – Celtics fans at TD Garden greeted a familiar face with a polite standing ovation Saturday night as Guerschon Yabusele returned to TD Garden. The 6-foot-8 big man signed a one-year contract with the 76ers in August, returning to the NBA five years after Boston waived him with one year remaining on his rookie deal.

Yabusele was a draft pick for Danny Ainge in 2016, and eventually made his Celtics debut during the 2017-18 season. He played just two years in Boston, struggling with his jump shot, weight and defense before finally falling out of the league in the 2019 offseason. For the past five years, Yabusele seemed destined for a career in foreigner, achieving a good role with Real Madrid over the last three seasons. That long absence from the NBA left Yabusele questioning whether he would get a second chance after his disappointing stint in Boston.

“It’s been five years, and of course when the summer came, I was hoping to get a call, but it made me work harder, keep pushing, never give up,” Yabusele said of his return to the NBA. “And every time I came back to my team I was like, ‘I have to do more.’

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Yabusele was eventually able to secure a second chance after an outstanding performance for France at the 2024 Olympics, which drew interest in him from several NBA teams beyond the 76ers.

“It was a few teams but they didn’t really like to make the move,” Yabusele said Saturday night. “Philly was really the team that was really interested in signing me. I know they’ve been back and forth with my agent for a couple of years, so that was something that was really important, and looking at the team, everything what they have with the organization, I think this was a great place for me.”

Yabusele agreed to a buyout from Real Madrid in August before signing a one-year minimum deal with Philadelphia. He has no guaranteed minutes under Nick Nurse, but will compete for a rotation spot with Ricky Council IV and Kenyon Martin Jr.

“I think there are a couple of things I like (about Yabusele).” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said, “He plays hard, he’s physical, he rebounds and he can space the floor. He can also take a shift to the basket. I think with Joel and Tyrese, we need guys who at least have space to give -the space to operate. I like what it has brought us so far.”

With the Sixers’ lack of frontcourt depth off the bench, Yabusele will have a chance to have some staying power in the NBA this time around. The 28-year-old is confident he is up to the task this time.

“A lot has changed because I’ve been through a lot of teams and different changes in my life,” explained Yabusele. “I think I’ve just evolved and I’m more mature, understanding things. Now I have a lot of experience and of course I shoot better and play better in general.”