The Boston Celtics drafted Guerschon Yabusele 16th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft and he was considered to be one of the best international players in the draft that year.

He played on the Celtics Summer League team and then would sign a deal with the Shanghai Sharks. He played 43 games, averaging 20.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game and was an All-Star in the Chinese Basketball Association.

It wasn’t until March of 2017 that Yabusele signed with the Maine Red Claws leading up to his signing with Boston four months later in July.

Yabusele would only play two seasons for the Celtics, logging 74 total games in Boston while often being assigned back to Maine. He scored 2.3 points and grabbed 1.4 rebounds per game for the Celtics.

He was signed to a four-year rookie entry level contract worth $12.81 million. The Celtics also exercised their $3.12 million team-option for the 2019-2020 season. Boston would eventually waive Yabusele seven months later in July of 2019.

At this point, Yabusele would go back to the CBA, this time with the Nanjing Monkey Kings for the 2019-20 season. He would then move to the French League, playing with ASVEL. Then in 2021, Yabusele joined the Euro League with Real Madrid, signing a three-year extension that’ll keep him there until the end of the 2024-25 season.

In a recent interview with L’equipe, Yabusele said that he isn’t too interested in returning to the NBA anytime soon while he’s on the best team in the Euro League and winning championships. He said his eyes are set on the 2024 Olympics.

“I no longer want to spend seasons with the Boston Celtics or in China, not knowing when to play and when not to play. I would like to return to the NBA, but I play for the best team in Europe and win championships. Why would I leave that to sit on a bench? I will join the French National Team after the end of the season this summer, so I am waiting for the Olympics, not the NBA.”

Yabusele isn’t wrong. He wins championships everywhere he goes. He’s a three-time Spanish Cup winner (2021-23), French Cup winner (2021), Pro A champion (2021), a Liga ACB champion (2022), and a Euro League champion (2023).

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Photo Credit: Sean Flynn, USA TODAY Sports