It is not just fans of the Boston Celtics clamoring for a return of the Dancing Bear (better known as Guerschon Yabusele in most non-Celtics circles) to the NBA after his transcendent play in the 2024 Paris Olympics. In fact, league analyst Mark Deeks put him at the top of his recent list of players he believes deserve a shot (or in Yabu’s case, a second) at the Association.
The French forward was famously Boston’s No. 16 pick in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft so he could be stashed for a season. But Yabu likely came over too soon, and ended up seeing his contract cut before it ended. Now, older, wiser, and a much better player, even Yabusele has been clamoring for a shot in the NBA once again.
“Surrounded by his NBA peers, Yabusele was nonetheless one of the best players on the silver medal-winning French team,” writes Deeks. “Rudy Gobert, one of the world’s best defensive players and the face of the French team, played only 12 minutes in the gold medal match against the USA, largely because Yabusele made him unnecessary.”
Celtics Lab 276: A closer look at the Olympics, Team USA, and the Celtics with Noa Dalzell https://t.co/8pKriN9TpA pic.twitter.com/BxWhKDs48x
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 5, 2024
The Dancing Bear has been playing for Real Madrid after a short stint in the Chinese Basketball League, and has done well for himself there. “Last season, he averaged 10.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per game of Euroleague play; perhaps most importantly, he did so with 46.3% 3-point shooting,” notes the H/H analyst.
“(…) Yabusele played his way back into NBA contention with his performances in these games. And he knows it, too.”
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