"I'm trying to move on": Guerschon Yabusele on posterizing LeBron James, role with Philadelphia 76ers and more (Exclusive)
As the Philadelphia 76ers absorb Joel Embiid’s suspension and Tyrese Maxey’s right hamstring injury, this play surely would help jumpstart the Sixers’ recent struggles.
How about Philadelphia center Guerschon Yabusele throwing down a dunk over Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James? After all, Yabusele posterized James with the French national team during the Paris Olympics! Why not produce an encore for when the Sixers (1-6) visit the Lakers (4-4) on Friday at Crypto.com Arena?
“I’m trying to move on, too,” Yabusele told Sportskeeda. “I don’t want to stay with that my whole life.”
Instead, Yabusele seems more intent on simply excelling in the fundamentals as Philadelphia’s backup center. He has averaged 8.4 points on 46.7% shooting, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 19 minutes off the bench after helping the French national team challenge Team USA before settling for the silver medal in the Paris Olympics.
“He’s probably maybe exceeded what we thought,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “We liked him and knew kind of what we thought he could do. But he hadn’t really done it in the NBA. But he’s been solid every night, good some nights. He’s always solid. He plays hard and is pretty good with the basketball. He knows when to move it to the next guy. He knows when to shoot it.”
Guerschon Yabusele interview (Exclusive)
Yabusele spoke to Sportskeeda about learning under Embiid and Andre Drummond, France’s run in the Paris Olympics, his dunk on James and more.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.
Aside from the tough start and the team’s injuries, how are you managing this new role?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“It’s been pretty good man. I’m just trying to enjoy it as much as I can. I’m excited to be back after finishing the Olympics and everything. There’s a lot going on so I’m just trying to enjoy it, keep learning and try to get better.”
What are you learning?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“I’m learning about a lot of things because the game in the NBA is completely different from Europe. So I’m trying to read on the court and figure out what I can do better to help the team on offense and defense. The speed of the game is so fast. So I’m trying to manage at the position 5. I have to be able to keep my speed and keep being efficient for the team.”
Nick said you’ve exceeded your expectations with being able to play at the 5 and with making the right pass. How do you view that?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“Yeah, exactly. I’m just letting the game come to me. In the game against Phoenix, a lot of things were coming my way. But the team and everybody did a great job with telling me to keep shooting and to keep my confidence. I try to read [the defense]. If a defender comes and I see somebody open, I try to make the right pass. I try to help the team when I’m on the court.”
How’s your energy level after having all of these extended minutes?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“Not bad. The first few practices at the beginning of training camp was hard (laughs). It was hard to match the speed and everything. But I’m catching up now. Obviously, it’s been different. At the 5, I feel like you have to have more energy because you have to go up and down. You have to help on a screen. You have to set a screen. I’ve been trying to manage the fatigue. But it’s not too bad.”
Nick said in jest that you don’t force shots and you make the extra pass because you might just be too tired with the extended minutes.
Guerschon Yabusele:
“Yeah (laughs). I always try to take good shots. I don’t want to take a good shot when I’m super fatigued, just to shoot it short. I’m still trying to learn and see when I really should shoot the ball and when I’m in good position.”
Obviously, it’s not the same with Joel being out so far. But what has his presence been like for you?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“He’s been pretty good in the couple of practices that we’ve been able to do with him. His level in this game is outstanding. Especially when he gets double teamed, he makes the right pass and makes the right play. If he sees something, he’s going to talk. He’s just trying to help us. I cannot wait to be with him on the court.”
How has he shown you the ropes so far?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“It’s been him and [Andre] Drummond. We talk during the game and in practices. I ask them a lot of questions because they have played at the 5 their whole life, and they are really good at it. I just try to get some tips. With Drummond, we talk about the rebounding. He’s so amazing at rebounding. He takes everything with his presence over there. Sometimes in practice, he was giving me and [Adem] Bona a couple of times. With Drummond, I always listen."
"With Joel, we talk a lot about the double teams and the cuts. He’s telling me that when he’s back that I’m going to be at the 4. So when the double is going to come, he’s going to look to pass. He’s telling me to be ready to knock down those shots and have confidence in my shot. He was telling me that a lot of shots will be coming my way so I have to knock them down.”
I understand you’re all mainly focused on your own practices and games. But how have you seen Joel handle everything with being out?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“I couldn’t say. You’d have to ask him that question. But he’s been good and okay. The most important part for everybody is to be good mentally. I feel like everybody is. We’re just trying to figure it out. Once the whole team is going to be here, we’re going to be better.”
Given your path, what are your goals with your development this season?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“Enjoy it. When you’re young, you get drafted and are on the team, you think you’ll be on the team your whole life. But it comes quickly, and then you’re not there anymore. So I want to enjoy it. I want to learn as much as I can. Obviously, I want to stay here more than one year. So I just try to do my best and play with no regrets and try to do whatever I can. But at the end of the day, it’s been a blessing. I’m happy to be with this group and this team. It’s a great organization. So I just try to play my best and give everything that I can."
"I’m happy. I’m glad. They’ve pushed me in the right direction, too to keep doing what I’m doing. But I’m trying to help the team as much as I can. I’m not trying to reflect on myself. I’m trying to make the job easier when I’m on the court. I’m trying not to be a problem. I’m trying to be a solution.”
What went into your strong play with France in the Paris Olympics?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“Play with no fear. I was at home. To be able to experience that as a player, it was just amazing. We were just talking about it a couple of days ago with a couple of guys. To rethink about the whole thing was amazing. It’s one feeling that you’ll never have again with playing in your home in front of your friends and family. It was a special moment for us. It was a crazy feeling. We felt like we were a team to be with being at home."
"The three teams that we were playing on the road were feeling that they were better than us and that they should beat us. We were going there like underdogs. But we knew we have everything to prove to everybody. I swear that the feeling was ‘no fear.’ We’re going to go over there and do what we know what to do. We were fighting every possession. I remember having a picture of a bench when somebody scored. The whole bench is up and screaming. We had that energy. We had that whole thing that we just shared between us. It was just amazing. I can’t even explain. Isaia Cordinier was just smacking 3s with his eyes closed. We had that super-power feeling that nothing could happen to us.”
How do you view your dunk over LeBron in the gold-medal game?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“It was an action in the game. I was focused and trying to get the win. But looking back at it in the Olympics, it was a special moment to do something special. After that, I enjoyed it and have talked about it. It was fun. But I’m trying to move on, too. I don’t want to stay with that my whole life. I want to get some more.”
You said there was some payback for what Vince Carter did against France in the 2000 Olympics. What were all of those emotions in real time?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“It was amazing. I’m not taking anything as if I didn’t enjoy that moment. It was something crazy. But I didn’t realize how big it was until the end of the game. I did enjoy it. I’m looking to get more action like this.”
How did you see Wemby grow during the Olympics?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“He’s an amazing player. The craziest thing is that he’s still super young. He has so many years to get way better than what he is right now. This is scary. But as far as us, he’s a great individual and makes things easier for us. When I play with him, he draws so much attention that we’re going to be the ones that are open. His presence has been amazing. I remember when a reporter asked me how I would handle playing time. I was like, ‘I’m not worried about it. Come on. He's one of the best players right now.’ When you play for the national team, it's not about yourself. It’s about the whole group. He’s been great with us. Me and him being on the court together was a problem for teams. We just tried to find a way to figure it out.”
How did you see Rudy Gobert handle his fluid role?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“I think you’d need to ask him. But I think he handled it pretty well. When you go with the national team, we don’t think of ourselves. We think about staying with the group at any cost. I think he understands it, too. He was hurt, too. I don’t think he handled it badly. He was smart with it. We need players like him that have been there for a long time. When he sits there and is positive, you’re like, ‘Who else can be mad then?’ We just follow.”
How did your time playing overseas in China shape you?
Guerschon Yabusele:
“It was cool. My first year was better with Shanghai [Sharks] after the NBA Draft [in 2016]. The second time in the CBA, not so much [2019-20]. But it’s about learning and getting better. It’s another level and different competition. Playing in China is actually hard. If you play against a Chinese player, they have nothing to lose. All of the foreigner players that go over there are supposed to be good. So when you go on a team, it’s just two [foreigners] and the rest are Chinese players. So when you play against a team, you’re going to be a target. So you have to work to get the baskets. It’s physical. There are a lot of fouls. The refereeing is completely different. So you have to learn again how to play."
"A lot of people that go to China get cut after three or four games. People don’t talk about it. It’s not easy to play there. So it’s about being able to go over there, compete and learn. I worked on parts of my game that I didn’t work on before because my back is against the wall. If I don’t perform, I get cut. To be able to be in that situation made me better mentally. I understand my game. I had to be a playmaker and have the ball in my hands. Everyone was looking at me. I had to work my way and go to the basket. So all of this made me a better basketball player and made me a better person. Every step, every year, I just get better.”