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Knicks’ Mike Brown praises new backup forward for making return to the NBA

Originally posted on Empire Sports Media
By Dylan Backer | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 11:25 AM ET

New York Knicks backup forward Guerschon Yabusele started his NBA career in 2017, but after just two seasons with the Boston Celtics, the former 16th overall pick was out of the league entirely.

After a wild performance during the 2024 Paris Olympics, Yabusele found himself back in the NBA after six seasons away from it. He spent last season with the Philadelphia 76ers and endured a breakout campaign, which led him to sign a two-year, $12 million contract with the Knicks this offseason.

Knicks’ Mike Brown has high praise for Guerschon Yabusele

New head coach Mike Brown took the time after Wednesday’s practice to praise Yabusele for putting in the work to make it back to the league.

“When you get drafted and don’t make it, it can do a lot of things to you mentally. It can make you say things like, ‘Screw the NBA. I don’t want to come back,’ or it can make you say, ‘You know what? I’m an NBA player and I’m going to do what I need to do to get back and be there as long as I want to be there,” Brown said (h/t Posting and Toasting).

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“Seeing that process tells you a lot about him as a person. That’s a vastly competitive spirit and competitive nature that I’m looking for when it comes to being a New York Knick. Going back overseas allowed him to work on his game, refine his tools and skill set. It just took him to another level. At his size, he knows he has to be versatile to thrive, and not just offensively, but defensively, too,” Brown added.

Yabusele is a key addition to a Knicks team that was looking to enhance its depth this summer. Last season, Yabusele averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, shot 50% from the field, and 38% from three-point range.

Yabusele gives the Knicks frontcourt depth

The 6-8 forward is also a physical and capable defender, making him a solid all-around bench piece. New York’s bench ranked towards the bottom in nearly every major category last season under Tom Thibodeau, so the hope is that having a new coach who is more willing to play the bench will change that.

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Adding Yabusele gives them key frontcourt depth, as they severely lacked depth in that area last season. As a result, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges found themselves playing a lot more minutes. That shouldn’t remain the case this upcoming season.

Yabusele’s first action in a Knicks uniform will come next week on Oct. 2, when they open their preseason slate in Abu Dhabi against the Philadelphia 76ers.

This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.

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