Forward Guerschon Yabusele said the chance to suit up at Madison Square Garden was just as important as the money when he accepted a two-year, $11.7 million deal with the New York Knicks earlier this summer. Speaking with BasketNews’ Giorgos Kyriakidis on August 25, the French veteran described New York’s roster chemistry and electric crowd as major selling points.
“When they step on the floor it’s like they’re trying to kill the other team,” Yabusele said of his new teammates. “I wanted to be part of that.”
The 29-year-old rebuilt his NBA résumé last season with Philadelphia after five years in Europe. On a one-year minimum contract, the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 11.0 points and 5.6 rebounds across 70 games for an injury-depleted 76ers squad, turning himself into a sought-after free agent.
Yabusele credited his “energy”—diving for loose balls and playing hard for 48 minutes—for the successful comeback. Returning carried a financial risk: he still had one season left on his Real Madrid contract and had to cover roughly $1.65 million of a $2.5 million buyout after the Sixers paid the maximum $850,000 allowed under league rules. “Going to the NBA was a dream,” he said. “I wanted to make sure I had a chance.”
The interview also touched on EuroBasket, which tips off Wednesday and marks Yabusele’s first international tournament since helping France reach the gold-medal game at the Tokyo Olympics. France will be without Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Mathias Lessort and Vincent Poirier, but Yabusele—now the national team captain—believes a breakthrough is possible after back-to-back Olympic silver medals and a runner-up finish at EuroBasket 2022.
“We always get silver,” he said. “Gold is the next goal for us, and an NBA championship would be special too. Both would feel great.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
