New York Knicks backup forward Guerschon Yabusele and his international team suffered a devastating upset loss Sunday in EuroBasket. Yabusele’s Team France was defeated by Georgia 80-70, knocking France out of the tournament.
Knicks’ Guerschon Yabusele eliminated from EuroBasket tournament
Yabusele scored 12 points with three rebounds and three assists in the loss. As a team, France made just six of their 36 three-point attempts, which ultimately was a major factor in their defeat.
Yabusele was the captain of Team France for this tournament, and it was his second consecutive year representing the country in international play. Last year, he made waves with his outstanding play during the Paris Olympics, which helped him land a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
He broke out in his first season back in the NBA in seven years, averaging 11 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field and 38% from three-point range.
Yabusele will focus on contributing to the Knicks
He hit the open market again this summer, this time choosing the Knicks for a two-year, $12 million deal. The backup forward is expected to play a very important role off their bench this upcoming season.
Additionally, the Knicks added Jordan Clarkson in free agency to pair with Yabusele to make for a strong duo off the bench. The two players both averaged double-digit points last season, which should help the Knicks improve their scoring output from the second unit after being dead last in that category last season.
While it is unfortunate that Yabusele couldn’t advance in the EuroBasket, he will now officially shift his focus towards getting ready for the 2025-26 regular season, which begins Oct. 22 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.