The EuroBasket 2025 tournament delivered a weekend of jaw-dropping upsets, none more shocking than France’s stunning 80-70 defeat to Georgia in the round-of-16. Despite high expectations, the French squad, missing NBA stars like Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama, crumbled under pressure, leaving former Boston Celtics forward Guerschon Yabusele to shoulder much of the spotlight—and the disappointment.
Yabusele had been a standout for France throughout the tournament, lighting up the scoreboard with a 36-point masterpiece against Poland earlier in the competition. But in Sunday’s knockout clash, his spark fizzled. The 29-year-old struggled, managing just 12 points on a dismal 1-of-6 from beyond the arc, as Georgia’s relentless defense and home-crowd energy propelled them to a historic victory.
The sting of defeat was palpable in the postgame press area, where Yabusele’s frustration boiled over. As a Georgian journalist celebrated loudly near the media interviews, Yabusele didn’t hold back, delivering a sharp rebuke that stole the headlines: “Hey, we’re talking here, calm down,” he snapped, via EuroHoops. “You’re the journalist, you’re not a player.” The fiery exchange was a mic-drop moment, encapsulating the raw emotion of France’s unexpected exit.
France entered EuroBasket 2025 as gold-medal contenders, expected to battle powerhouses like Serbia and Germany for the top spot. Instead, they join Serbia—stunned by Finland in another Sunday shocker—on the sidelines, leaving Germany as the clear favorites to claim the title. For Yabusele and his teammates, the loss marks a bitter end to a campaign that promised so much, especially after their impressive silver-medal performance at last year’s Olympics.
Now, Yabusele has a few weeks to regroup before embarking on a new chapter in his career. After signing a two-year deal with the New York Knicks in July, the versatile forward is set to back up Karl-Anthony Towns at power forward and potentially log minutes as a small-ball center under new head coach Mike Brown. The Knicks, fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals run, will lean on Yabusele’s grit and experience off the bench.
Celtics fans won’t have to wait long to see their former forward in action against his old team. On October 24, Yabusele and the Knicks will face Boston in a highly anticipated early-season showdown at Madison Square Garden. With emotions still raw from France’s EuroBasket collapse, expect Yabusele to bring his trademark intensity to the court as he looks to prove himself against his former squad.
For now, Yabusele’s viral clapback at the Georgian journalist remains the talk of the tournament, a moment of defiance amid a heartbreaking defeat. As he shifts his focus to the NBA season, one thing is clear: whether on the court or in the press room, Yabusele knows how to make his voice heard.