Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele drives against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Knicks Forward Compares Championship Aspirations to Gold Medal Goals

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Guerschon Yabusele plays for two of the best basketball teams in the world: the New York Knicks and the French men's national team.

Yabusele hopes to win with both and explained to BasketNews reporter Giorgios Kyriakidis how important each of those goals are to him.

"A gold medal with France would be special," Yabusele said via Kyriakidis.

"I've been playing with the team for years, and every time we get silver. So I think gold would be the next goal for us."

"But, of course, winning an NBA championship is also something special. I've never been part of something like that. Both would feel great.”

Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Yabusele, 29, has won the silver medal with France in the previous two Olympic Games and now he has been named the captain of the French national team. He is expected to be part of France's 2028 Olympic run in Los Angeles, where they hope to beat the host nation United States to claim gold.

It won't be easy for France to beat the USA, but Yabusele will do everything in his power to achieve glory for his country.

In the meantime, Yabusele will try to win a championship in the NBA with the Knicks. He joins the team on a two-year deal while they are on their ascent towards a title.

Yabusele averaged 11 points and 5.6 rebounds per game with the Philadelphia 76ers last season, proving he belongs in the NBA after a five-year hiatus from 2019-24. Yabusele was drafted with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics and spent his first year in the league as a stashed player overseas.

Once he got to the Celtics, he struggled to make it in the rotation as the team competed for a championship. In two years, Yabusele was out of the league and was forced to return overseas to fight his way back in the league.

His hard work has paid off and he's currently in the prime of his career, but he now knows what it takes to keep him as one of the elite players in the world, so he needs to bottle that up and use it in international competition and in the upcoming season with the Knicks.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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