Oftentimes, when a team makes a signing in free agency, something will later come out about how a star player recruited them. We just saw that with Marcus Smart joining the Lakers, as he revealed that Luka Doncic was a key part in drawing him to Los Angeles. For Guerschon Yabusele, the Knicks' prized free agent addition, the choice to come to New York came down to culture and team chemistry.
Speaking to Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart on The Roommates podcast, Yabusele revealed that coming to the Knicks stemmed down to three main reasons: the team chemistry, the accessibility for family members from France, and the fans and environment in Madison Square Garden.
Guershon Yabusele on the process of becoming a Knick👀
— Knicks Union 🗽 (@knicks_union) July 24, 2025
“At the same time I was looking like oh my gosh, they have good chemistry. It seems like maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like it's no problem, there's no ego. Everybody's vibing in the same way.”
(@Roommates__Show) pic.twitter.com/cRvRMuodAM
While playing with All-NBA talents like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns likely helped as well, Yabusele's comments speak volumes to the culture that the front office, coaches, and players have built in New York.
The Knicks have a winning culture
The days of the Knicks being a laughing stock of the league are long gone. They have become a playoff mainstay and are now one of the favorites to come out of the East, while also looking poised to compete for multiple years.
They have a front office that has an established record of making smart basketball decisions, which has created a level of trust among players, trust that they will be put in the best possible situation to succeed. It was that lack of trust in the past, when the Knicks had a reputation for poor decision-making, that caused them to miss out on star players like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Now, their culture was the main factor in stealing a key piece from their rival Philadelphia 76ers.
Yabusele will play a key role for New York
Last year, the Knicks lacked real bench depth. Yabusele provides size, shooting, and positional versatility, all of which should make him a key cog in the Knicks' rotation.
He gives them the ability to put size and shooting alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as the option to play small with him sliding in as an undersized center. Last season, Yabusele shot 38 percent from three on just under four attempts per game.
On defense, Yabusele spent 23.4 percent of his time guarding opposing guards, 44.1 percent of his time guarding forwards, and 32.4 percent of his time guarding centers, according to league tracking data. It is that mix of size and versatility that will make him so valuable for the Knicks.