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Sixers’ Guerschon Yabusele Reacts to NBA Award Nomination

Guerschon Yabusele was excited to be in the running for NBA Hustle Player of the Year.
Justin Grasso|
Apr 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Apr 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers won’t see any of their players pick up an NBA award this year, but their veteran forward Guerschon Yabusele came close.

On Friday, the NBA announced the winner for the yearly Hustle Award. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green received the honors this season.

When the league revealed the top-five finalists, Yabusele popped up third on the list, trailing Green and the Oklahoma City Thunder guard, Cason Wallace. OKC’s Lu Dort and Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels were also in the mix, placing fourth and fifth.

Yabusele took to social media to react to his honorable mention.

via @yabusele28: Merci l'équipe ✊🏾🖤

Yabusele gave thanks to an account that credited Yabusele not only for his performance throughout the 2024-2025 NBA season, but for his mentality as well.

The circumstances for Yabusele and the Sixers as a whole were not exactly ideal this past year. Yabusele re-entered the NBA after a standout summer in Paris at the Olympics, playing for Team France. On a one-year deal, Yabusele wasn’t guaranteed anything beyond the 2024-2025 season.

As for the Sixers, they made multiple major investments, including the addition of Paul George. They entered the season with championship expectations and ultimately fell flat. The state of Philly hoops might be dark currently, but Yabusele was undoubtedly a bright spot.

The standout forward proved he deserves to stay in the NBA with impressive production and plenty of hustle. The Sixers will do what they can to retain him in the offseason when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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