What Happened to Guerschon Yabusele in the NBA and Why Did He Leave?

I still remember the first time I watched Guerschon Yabusele play for the Boston Celtics back in 2017. There was something undeniably captivating about this 6'8", 260-pound French forward they called the "Dancing Bear" - his combination of size, surprising agility, and that infectious smile made him stand out even among NBA athletes. Yet within two seasons, he was gone from the league, leaving many fans wondering what exactly happened to this promising international prospect. Having followed numerous international players' transitions to the NBA over the years, I've developed a particular interest in cases like Yabusele's where the story doesn't follow the expected superstar narrative but reveals the complex realities of professional basketball.

The Celtics selected Yabusele with the 16th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, which in retrospect might have been a bit high for a player who needed significant development. What many casual fans don't realize is that Boston essentially drafted him as a "draft-and-stash" prospect - someone they could leave overseas to develop while preserving roster spots and salary cap flexibility. He spent that first post-draft year in China with the Shanghai Sharks, where he put up respectable numbers: 21 points and 9 rebounds per game against competition that was frankly below NBA standards. When he finally joined the Celtics for the 2017-18 season, he faced the classic challenge that many international players encounter - the game was faster, the athletes were more explosive, and the defensive schemes were exponentially more complex than what he'd experienced overseas.

During his rookie season, Yabusele appeared in 33 games but averaged just 7 minutes per contest - those aren't exactly numbers that scream "rotation player." I've always felt Brad Stevens, while excellent at developing certain types of players, didn't quite trust Yabusele in meaningful minutes. The Frenchman showed flashes of his potential - he could handle the ball surprisingly well for his size, had decent shooting form, and moved his feet better than most players with his build. But the NBA has little patience for "almost" defenders, and Yabusele struggled with the perimeter closeouts and switching schemes that modern NBA defenses require from big men. His three-point shooting hovered around 32%, which simply wasn't reliable enough to space the floor effectively.

The following season proved even more challenging. Yabusele appeared in just 41 games, and his playing time dwindled to under 6 minutes per game. What really struck me watching him during that period was how his confidence seemed to waver - the joyful, expressive player I'd seen in France and China became more tentative, almost as if he was overthinking every movement on court. The Celtics, firmly in win-now mode with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, couldn't afford developmental minutes for a project player. When Boston needed to clear a roster spot ahead of the 2019-20 season, Yabusele became the unfortunate casualty.

Now, here's where we can draw an interesting parallel to the reference material about Justin Brownlee's situation. Like Brownlee's health concerns creating "bad news and good news" for Barangay Ginebra, Yabusele's departure from the NBA represented both an ending and a beginning. The bad news was obvious - his NBA dream had stalled after just 74 total games, averaging a mere 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds. But the good news, which became apparent later, was that returning to Europe allowed him to rediscover his joy for basketball and develop into the dominant player he was always meant to be.

After clearing waivers, Yabusele returned to Europe and signed with ASVEL in France, where he immediately looked like a different player - confident, impactful, and clearly enjoying himself again. He later moved to Real Madrid, where he's flourished into one of Europe's premier players, winning the EuroLeague in 2023 and establishing himself as a cornerstone for the French national team. In my view, his career path highlights something important about player development that we often overlook in the NBA-centric basketball world - sometimes the "failure" in the NBA isn't about talent but rather fit, timing, and the specific demands of that particular ecosystem.

Looking at Yabusele's European statistics compared to his NBA numbers reveals a dramatic difference. While he averaged those meager 2.3 points in the NBA, he's been putting up around 12-15 points per game in EuroLeague while shooting over 40% from three-point territory - the very skill that was supposed to be his NBA ticket. His rebounding numbers have nearly tripled, and he's playing 25-30 minutes per game rather than the 6-7 he saw in Boston. These aren't just better numbers - they reflect a player who has found his proper level and role within the game.

The truth is, the NBA's loss has been European basketball's gain. Yabusele's case demonstrates that the path to basketball success isn't always linear, and "making it" shouldn't be defined solely by NBA tenure. Having watched hundreds of international players transition between leagues, I've come to believe we need to rethink how we evaluate these careers. Yabusele has achieved what most basketball players dream of - he's become a champion at the highest level of European competition, represents his country proudly, and plays meaningful minutes for one of the world's most prestigious clubs. If that's not success, I'm not sure what is.

Reflecting on Yabusele's journey, I can't help but feel the NBA system failed to bring out his best qualities rather than the other way around. The league's current style might actually suit him better today than it did in 2017-19, with more emphasis on skilled big men who can shoot and pass. But sometimes timing is everything in basketball careers, and Yabusele's story serves as a valuable reminder that there are multiple paths to basketball fulfillment beyond the NBA spotlight. His departure from the league wasn't an ending but rather a redirection to where he truly belonged.