The Philadelphia 76ers made official on Thursday the arrival of French basketball player Guerschon Yabusele, who is making his return to the NBA after playing for Real Madrid for the last three seasons and after a successful Olympic tournament.
“Yabusele arrives in Philadelphia after representing his country, France, in an impressive Olympic campaign that resulted in a silver medal,” the Pennsylvania franchise wrote in its statement.
In the middle of the day, Real Madrid made official the departure of its 28-year-old power forward who will wear number 28 at the Sixers.
“Real Madrid and Guerschon Yabusele have agreed to end his career as a player at our club,” the Spanish team announced in a statement, wishing to express “its gratitude and affection for the three seasons in which he defended our shirt, with which he won 7 titles: 1 European Cup, 2 Spanish Championships, 1 Copa del Rey and 3 Spanish Super Cups.”
Yabusele will make his big return to the NBA, having been selected in the 2016 draft by the Boston Celtics without managing to make his mark before the franchise terminated his contract in 2019 after a stint in China.
The impressively built center (2.04 m, 123 kg) left the NBA “with a real feeling of unfinished business since he never really had his chance. There were a lot of people in his position and therefore few opportunities”, the French player’s agent, Olivier Mazet, told AFP on Wednesday.
This great comeback, the native of Dreux (Eure-et-Loir) hoped for it without hiding: “I’m waiting for a second chance… I’m ready”, he said on X on August 11, the day after his monstrous performance in the Olympic final against the Americans.
According to his agent, the Frenchman signed “a guaranteed one-season contract” worth $2.1 million (around €1.9 million). “That will give him the option of then extending his contract with the Sixers or signing with another team,” he continued.
By leaving Real just before the start of the season, he will however have to free himself from a transfer clause set at 2.5 million euros, which he will pay largely out of his own pocket since NBA franchises cannot pay more than 850,000 dollars (a little over 762,000 euros) in this type of transfer.
Brilliant during the Olympic tournament, the former Asvel player was one of the most decisive French players, scoring 22, 17 and 20 points respectively against Canada, Germany and the United States in the quarter, semi and final. He also distinguished himself with a sensational “poster dunk” on the legend LeBron James, images of which went around the world and are now sold as derivative products.
ati-vg/zub/bdu/cyj
