It’s so hard to say goodbye, but sometimes it must be done. And for a lot of NBA players, the trade deadline doesn’t leave much of a choice.
Matisse Thybulle was one of those players Thursday, traded by the only team he had ever played for during his four-year NBA career. The Philadelphia 76ers sent him to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a three-team deal, parting with their 2019 first-round pick whose role had been reduced this season.
Thybulle said goodbye to city of Philadelphia in the coolest way possible, tagging a mural of himself on a building with “Thank you Philly” and his signature.
Matisse Thybulle’s goodbye to the Sixers, which he posted on his Instagram pic.twitter.com/iHgySQF5UV
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) February 10, 2023
The mural was painted in March 2021 by local artist Jimmy Glossblack. The Philadelphia Inquirer caught up with the owner of the building, a bar called Garage Fishtown, to get his thoughts.
“It’s such a sweet comment, and the response has been pretty loving towards Matisse,” Jason Evanchik said. “It was a nice little goodbye.”