The name of Guerschon Yabusele is trading on the rise after the great performance signed with France in the men’s basketball tournament at the Olympic Games, where the hosts took silver after losing in the final to USA by 87-98.
A match for gold, unblocked for the Americans by a Stellar Stephen Curry who scored in every possible way from beyond the 6.75, his successes in the last period being decisive, to end with a total of 24 points and 8 of 12 on three-pointers.
A great Olympic tournament
Despite the disappointment of not having climbed to the top step of the podium, France closes the tournament with good feelings, and does so thanks to the great performance of the ‘4’ of the Real Madrid, that in the championship playoffs, has averaged 19.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. A Yabusele who has also been the protagonist of one of the photos of these Games that has gone around the world, such as the dunk he starred in against LeBron James, in which the Frenchman collided with and threw the Los Angeles Lakers star to the ground, giving him a 2+1.
Yabusele’s ‘poster’ for LeBron James, one of the images of these Games / AP
His experience in the NBA
Yabusele’s good performance in this final phase of the tournament has led to interest in the United States. contractual situation of a Yabusele who already knows what it is like to play in the best basketball league on the planet. He did it between 2017 and 2019 with the Boston Celtics, when he was barely 22 years old. A total of 90 games between the regular season and playoffs in which he averaged just over two points per game, but with very few minutes on the court.
Last year of contract in Madrid
After playing half a season in the Nanjing Monkey Kings from the Chinese league, Asvel ‘rescued’ him to play Euroleague, and in 2021 he landed in the capital of Spain, to play in a Real Madrid who, seeing his performance in the first half of that season, renewed his contract until 2025, a contract that is still valid and expires next summer.
Guerschon Yabusele has played the last three seasons at Real Madrid / EFE
The price of Yabusele’s ‘liberation’
Faced with this situation, from America, journalist Marc Stein revealed that His exit clause to the NBA was 2.5 million dollars, a figure that had increased considerably, since until July 15 it was only one ‘kilo’. In the last agreement of the league, it is stipulated that the franchises can only pay $850,000 buyout, so Yabusele would have to pay the remaining 1.7 million.
The player lets himself be loved by the NBA
As for the player’s will, one only has to review the words and messages that the player has sent during this Olympic tournament. Journalist Gary Washburn revealed that ‘Yabu’ had asked him to “talk to the Celtics to bring him back to the NBA,” while, after playing the final, he made his will more than clear: “I’ve been waiting for a second chance… I’m ready,” commented on his ‘X’ account.
Real Madrid had the squad closed, waiting to announce the incorporation of a Usman Garuba which will be added to the arrivals of Andrés Feliz, Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Serge Ibaka.
But the ‘Yabusele soap opera’ It is already on the table, and although his departure to the NBA is somewhat high, it is not a prohibitive figure for any franchise to take the plunge and bet on his return to the league.
