Guerschon Yabusele, French power forward will return to the EuroLeague next season with Panathinaikos, after spending the previous two years in the NBA.
The new addition to the Athens powerhouse is quickly adapting to his new surroundings, with the club’s growing French contingent playing a significant role in that process. Alongside Mathias Lessort, Panathinaikos have also signed Moustapha Fall and Sylvain Francisco this summer, while newcomer Brancou Badio also speaks French.
βEveryone on the team is going to have to learn Frenchβ
Yabusele smiled as he commented on the atmosphere in the locker room and the presence of so many French-speaking players:
βBadio speaks French, so there will be plenty of rooms around the club where we speak our language. We also have to make everyone else learn it. Iβm French, and Iβm happy to be playing with my friends. Weβve already built a good connection, and the first few days have been really great. Weβre enjoying ourselves, weβre still learning and working, and weβre looking forward to every new day.β
Organization and facilities on par with the NBA
Speaking about the conditions at Panathinaikos, the 30-year-old drew a comparison with the world’s strongest league, emphasizing that the Athens club operates at an impeccable level:
βPanathinaikos is a top-level club and organization. We have breakfast and lunch provided, full medical care is always available to us, and the people at the club are there for absolutely anything we need. In every sense, this is a top-class organization.β
π£π₯ππ¦πππ¦π’π‘ ππ§π¦ ππΆππ΅ @yabusele28 πͺπΎπ£οΈ
— Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) August 24, 2026
Take a look at what Guerschon Yabusele has to say about the beginning of our preseason training, the summer work he has been putting in and the demanding season ahead βοΈ#WeTheGreens #paobcaktor #Club1908 pic.twitter.com/SRxFgUiUOV
Open communication with Zeljko Obradovic
One of the key factors for Yabusele in his new team will be his cooperation with the decorated coach Zeljko Obradovic, who returned to the Panathinaikos bench this June after 14 years.
βThe coach is very open. During our first conversations on the court, he told me to talk to him without any hesitation. He wants constant communication so that everything goes in the right direction,β Yabusele concluded.
