Guerschon Yabusele was a real bright spot for the Sixers when they needed it last season. There’s no doubt he’ll be missed in Philly, and he shared a warm goodbye message as he heads for New York.
For the next stage of his comeback career in the NBA, Guerschon Yabusele is off to New York. And as he bids farewell to Philadelphia, he’s shared a sweet goodbye message to the Sixers and their fans.
Thank you Philly ✊ ❤️ pic.twitter.com/SIdx8EiBEu
— Guerschon Yabusele (@yabusele28) July 8, 2025
“Thank you to the franchise, my teammates, the staff and especially to you for your support. This chapter is closed, but I will always keep a special place in my heart for you,” Yabusele wrote to conclude his thank you message.
The love should be mutual between Philadelphia and Yabusele. In a season that became such a slog and fell so short of all expectations, Yabusele consistently showed up. He played hard, showcased all his talent and versatility (from his passing chops, to popping out to the three-point line and crashing the boards), and was such a fun player to root for. The Sixers’ 2024-25 campaign was undoubtedly better for having Yabusele as a part of it.
Even though Yabusele said in a recent interview that the Sixers’ offer to him in free agency was low (which is likely a result of the team being forced to maintain maximum financial flexibility while they wait to finalise re-signing Quentin Grimes), he still made it clear how grateful he is to the Sixers for his opportunity to return to the NBA.
“I’m always thankful for them,” he said. “They gave me my second chance. Everything goes from them. I will always be thankful to be able to be part of their franchise, to win there, and play the season there. I will thank them from the bottom of my heart. Me and my family are really happy about everything they did for us, so it’s no hard feelings.”
Not too many players get the chance to return to the NBA after going overseas. And after Yabusele earned that chance with his play at the Paris Olympics, it’s safe to say he stepped up and capitalized in his return to the league.
Now, it’s off to the Knicks for Yabusele, after he agreed to his new two-year, $12 million deal. It’s unfortunate the Sixers couldn’t keep him, but it wasn’t necessarily going to be easy to make the money work alongside the Grimes situation.
Hopefully Yabu’s success story can continue in New York.