Guerschon Yabusele reintroduced himself to the world in a big way at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

The 28-year-old forward was inserted into France’s starting lineup by head coach Vincent Collet, replacing Rudy Gobert at the beginning of the knockout round, and he did not disappoint.

Yabusele’s presence benefited France on both ends of the floor, as the pairing of him and Nicolas Batum provided Collet two versatile forwards who could space the floor offensively and switch onto almost any opposing player defensively. This adjustment freed up Victor Wembanyama and helped push Les Bleus all the way to the gold medal game.

In his three games as a starter for France, Yabusele averaged 19.6 points on 55.9% shooting from the field, 4.6 rebounds, and one steal. He scored 22 points in the quarterfinals against Canada, 17 in the semifinals versus Germany, and 20 points in the finale, where they fell to Team USA.

Though France lost to the U.S. 98-87 in the gold medal game, Yabusele still had his fair share of highlights, including a powerful dunk over LeBron James late in the first half.

The 20 points that Yabusele scored in the Olympic final were the second-highest total for France, behind only Wembanyama’s 26, while his 31 minutes on the court were a team-high, as he was assigned the task of defending James for most of the evening.

The superb Olympic performance of Yabusele, who is currently under contract with the Spanish club Real Madrid, was enough to put him back on the NBA’s radar. 

Yabusele was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 16th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft—the same year they drafted reigning NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown third overall. He played two seasons for them, averaging 2.3 points across 74 career games, before being waived by Boston in 2019. He then played professionally in China and France before joining Real Madrid in 2021.

In the five years since his last NBA game, Yabusele has addressed the weaknesses that limited his effectiveness in the league. He has become a much better three-point shooter, improving from 32.3% during his two-year stint with the Celtics to a cumulative 43.1% in his EuroLeague and Liga ACB games over the 2023-24 campaign. It appears that he has also lost weight, which has enhanced his mobility.

A player like Yabusele is highly valuable in today’s NBA, which puts a premium on versatility and floor spacing. Almost every NBA team could benefit from having him on board, though his steep buyout clause from his current deal with Real Madrid could reportedly delay his return. Yabusele himself has acknowledged the opportunity before him and it would not come as a surprise if he is signed by an NBA team as soon as he is available during the 2025 offseason.

Yabusele has earned a rare second chance at the NBA, something that is exceedingly rare in the modern sporting landscape. Though first place remains elusive to France, he has struck gold with this potential return to the NBA. His path back to the league has been long and winding, but it has also made him a much better player and a valuable asset to the French national team.