Why He Isn’t in the NBA

France may have come up short in their Gold Medal bid in Paris against Team USA, but it shouldn’t take away from the special run they had in their home country. Victor Wembanyama was special throughout the entire tournament, but another player stood out for France, especially throughout the knockout rounds and that was Guerschon Yabusele.

Yabusele will probably be remembered most for posterizing

LeBron James

in the Gold Medal game of the 2024 Paris

Olympics

.

But apart from his signature Olympic moment, Yabusele has become one of France’s key pieces in helping lead France to the Gold Medal game against Team USA.

The 6-foot-8 forward has provided his team with a physical bruiser and a consistent scoring option behind young star

Victor Wembanyama

. His countrymen have showered him with “MVP” chants throughout the Olympics, even during the medal ceremony where France received their silver medals.

Given the way he performed for France in the 2024 Paris Olympics, one has to wonder why Yabusele isn’t playing in the NBA.

Why Guerschon Yabusele Isn’t in the NBA

Yabusele has spent the last five years in Europe

For someone who has found success in international basketball, it’s certainly worth wondering why Guerschon Yabusele has not been able to stay in the NBA.

Drafted 16th overall by the Boston Celtics in 2016, Yabusele actually spent two seasons in the best league in the world. But he hasn’t been in the NBA since the 2018-19 season. That is in large part due to the underwhelming campaigns he had as a mid-first-round pick.

He only appeared in 74 games in the NBA. But being a young player with raw skills, he never had the chance to develop and see consistent playing time on a Celtics team that had championship aspirations. Boston waived the forward after the 2018-19 campaign.

Guerschon Yabusele’s Career in Europe

Since leaving the NBA in 2019, Yabusele has spent the last five years of his basketball career in Europe. Yabusele has found success playing for Real Madrid in the Liga ACB over the last three seasons. He spent a couple of seasons with ASVEL prior.

With Real Madrid, Yabusele has helped the Spanish squad to two Liga ACB titles (2022 and 2024) and a EuroLeague championship in 2023.

All things considered, Yabusele has the tools to be an NBA player. With his 6-foot-8, 271-pound frame, Yabusele has the body to play in the NBA. He is an aggressive attacker to the basket, can finish in the paint, and has a knack of getting to the foul line. Likewise, he can also space the floor with his three-point shot.

With his skillset, he certainly has what it takes to be at least a rotation piece for any team in the league. Only time will tell if he can eventually land another NBA contract.

Until then, he’ll continue to thrive in Europe and remain a force for France alongside Victor Wembanyama on the international stage.

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