France Star Guerschon Yabusele Had Message for Celtics After Reaching Gold Medal Game

Karl Rasmussen | Aug 8, 2024

France's Guerschon Yabusele reacts in the third quarter against Canada in a men’s basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

France took down Germany in men's basketball at the 2024 Olympics on Thursday, securing a victory in the semifinals and booking a spot in the gold medal game, where they'll face the winner of the matchup between the United States and Serbia.

Forward Guerschon Yabusele led the charge offensively for France, providing a team-high 17 points along with seven rebounds. After the game, Yabusele caught up with Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe and jokingly made a request of the reporter.

"You gotta tell (the Boston Celtics) to bring me back," Yabusele said to Washburn.

Yabusele was a first-round pick by the Celtics in 2016, selected with the No. 16 pick out of his native France. He played in 74 games across two seasons from 2017-19, averaging 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

He's currently playing for Real Madrid in the Spanish top flight, but he made clear he'd be eager to return to the NBA and re-join the reigning champion Celtics, if they'd be interested in such a reunion.

During the 2023-24 LIGA ACB campaign, Yabusele averaged 9.3 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 49.0% from the field and 39.4% from three-point range. He's been a key cog for France during their run to the gold medal game at the Olympics, having served as one of the team's key weapons offensively.