Matisse Thybulle Talks Facing 76ers, Joel Embiid's Leadership

For the first time in his career, Matisse Thybulle faced the 76ers.

PHILADELPHIA -- Coming back to the city where his NBA career started, Matisse Thybulle didn’t know how to approach the situation. After receiving advice from some guys who have dealt with similar circumstances, the former Philadelphia 76ers’ defensive standout learned to embrace the moment.

“They say it's like a bit of an out-of-body experience,” Thybulle explained. “It's weird, and like, I can definitely relate to that sentiment, and for me, it's just trying to like be present and enjoy it for what it is as weird as it is to be in the visitor's locker room and now be in enemy territory where I used to call home.”

The 26-year-old former first-round pick might’ve been the enemy for the two hours, and 21 minutes it took for the Sixers’ comeback victory over the Blazers to conclude, but Thybulle was embraced by the City of Brotherly Love in his homecoming.

Matisse Thybulle got video tribute and nice ovation from the crowd during the first timeout with 7:13 left in the first quarter. pic.twitter.com/EzNJEQZzmi

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) March 11, 2023

Arriving back at his Philly-based apartment with watered plants and packages held for him thanks to his good neighbors, Thybulle was grateful for those he’s built relationships with over the last few years, especially his teammates who have kept tabs on him since he’s relocated.

“Guys have checked in, and it’s been really nice,” said Thybulle. “I think it’s always fun to, like, check box scores once guys go somewhere else just to see how the fit goes. Guys have been like texting me after games, talking about the stats and stuff. So, it’s been cool just feel like they’re keeping up with me.”

Since leaving Philadelphia, where his role was undefined in 2022-2023, Thybulle went from averaging 12 minutes on the court as a reserve to spending 29 minutes on the floor per game as a full-time starter. Defensively, Thybulle hasn’t missed a step. Offensively, he’s finding more success playing freely, averaging seven points while hitting on 40 percent of his threes in 11 games.

Although Thybulle’s had his struggles with the Sixers at times, he always had a good support system from his team leaders. Often crediting Philly’s six-time All-Star Joel Embiid for helping him stay confident, Thybulle once again praised the big man for the impact he had while expressing gratitude for the support he’s received from Damian Lillard, the newest multi-time All-Star he’s playing alongside.

“Joel always having my back was always a really big deal for me,” Thybulle continued. “Joel was an amazing example of that, and now I've got guys like Damian Lillard, who also have my back, and it's it's really nice to see how all that transition has gone. Now being on a new team, I know how important it is to have the belief of your best player and how far that goes. Like how Joel’s been doing it in Philly for years and now how Dame is doing it for me, it really is a big deal and a sign of leadership.”

Welcoming Thybulle in with open arms, the Blazers have helped the defensive standout feel embraced while giving him a smooth transition going from one team to another. Although Thybulle admitted he didn’t “hear anything” from the Sixers’ front office in terms of a potential trade leading up to the deadline, the rumors going around the NBA hinted he could be on the move.

It was a familiar scenario for the former Sixer, but this time, the rumors became a reality. Yet, it’s an unreal feeling for Thybulle over one month later.

“It's hard to even consider it being real,” he admitted. “Like, you get the call, you don't really know what's going on until you're like five days into being into a new city and learning a new playbook, and you’re like, ‘Oh, wow. I’m really on a new team in a new city.’ My initial reaction was like, you just kind of go numb, and life just shoots you off into a new scenario.”

His final act in Philly might not have ended the way he desired. In the hours leading up to his return to the Wells Fargo Center, Thybulle’s description of playing for the 76ers caused a bit of a stir and didn’t sit well with some, including one of his former teammates.

But that doesn’t erase the fact that Thybulle is fond of his time spent in Philadelphia playing with the Sixers overall.

“Philly was my understanding of what the NBA is like,” he finished. “It was my transition into adulthood. It was my transition to the NBA. It's like it was essentially everything in that sense. So now, being somewhere else has given me a new perspective to kind of bounce all my experiences off of and get a gauge for just like where I've been for the last four years.”

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.