Former Sixers Player Shines in Pre-EuroBasket Spotlight

Back to Where It Started…

When Yabusele suited up in his Team France uniform last summer in the 2024 Paris Olympics, he was a ball-player for Real Madrid.

Although he had ties to the NBA, it wasn’t clear if he would be able to make his way back to the league. A strong stretch of outings during France’s silver medal run put Yabusele back on the NBA’s map.

The Philadelphia 76ers wanted to take a chance on the former first-round pick. The team recruited Yabusele and helped the forward secure a buyout with Real Madrid ahead of the 2024-2025 NBA season.

In Philadelphia, Yabusele would shine. Despite it being a rough year for the Sixers, who missed a handful of key players more often than not, Yabusele appeared in 70 games and even picked up 43 starts.

Seeing the court for roughly 27 minutes per game, Yabusele posted averages of 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists. He made 50 percent of his shots from the field and drained 38 percent of his threes.

The Sixers ended up missing the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. They hoped Yabusele would be an X-factor for an eventual postseason run, but the Sixers came up way short.

Yabusele hit the free agency market back in July. The Sixers were expected to pursue the veteran forward to offer a multi-year deal, but Yabusele claimed to have a low offer from Philadelphia’s front office.

As a result, Yabusele left for the enemy. The veteran forward has signed with the New York Knicks.

After a run in EuroBasket, Yabusele will enter the new NBA season with three years under his belt. He spent two seasons with the Boston Celtics between 2017-2019, before playing for several teams outside of the US. After a big season with the Sixers, the Knicks hope that Yabusele contributes to a key role on a playoff squad.