Guerschon Yabusele has taken on more of a leadership role with France at EuroBasket, and has now spoken about how he has performed with the team.
Guerschon Yabusele has had quite a journey this past year. After he left the NBA in 2019, he wouldn’t have expected to return in the way he did.
After his impressive stint with the French national team at the 2024 Olympics, which included Yabusele posterizing LeBron James in the gold medal game, he attracted NBA interest once again.
Yabusele signed with the Philadelphia 76ers and impressed massively despite their struggles last season. It was enough to earn Yabusele a $12 million move to the New York Knicks.
Ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, Yabusele has taken on a leadership role with France at EuroBasket, as their key stars like Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert opted out of the tournament.
Guerschon Yabusele opens up performances with France at EuroBasket
Guerschon Yabusele spoke to French outlet L’Equipe about his performances so far at the EuroBasket tournament.
Yabusele admitted that he has had some negative moments, as he looks to take a leadership and unselfish role. However, he vowed to improve and find a way to help the French side at the tournament.
“I don’t necessarily have the right approach. I’ve shown some negative sides. As for my performances, I’m not selfish, so when I see double-teams, I look for the free man.
“Afterwards, it’s a balance. Without trying to force my destiny, I must maintain my aggressiveness, not just post-up. We haven’t seen my strengths yet.
“I must push the ball, find my accuracy. That will push the defenses away. For the team, and for me too, I’ll have to find a way.”
Guerschon Yabusele says his DNA is perfect for New York Knicks
It’s possible that Guerschon Yabusele’s struggles at EuroBasket are stemming from a lack of focus due to his upcoming stint with the Knicks.
In an interview with One, Yabusele claimed that he and the Knicks are a perfect fit for each other, as he has the DNA that is perfect to play on their team.
While Yabusele has every right to be excited about the chance of playing for the Knicks, he cannot let that get in the way of his international duty.
The French team named him the captain of the team, and that title comes with a level of responsibility that he needs to fulfill.
