Guerschon Yabusele embraced the hostile atmosphere after Panathinaikos’ 72-55 win over Partizan on Tuesday night, but accused fans of throwing objects and spitting at him.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens power forward Guerschon Yabusele had no problem with the hostile atmosphere inside Belgrade Arena on Tuesday night. What bothered him was what happened when he left the floor.
Player of the Game
PTS
6
FGS
3-4
REB
7
AST
2
After Panathinaikos beat Partizan Belgrade 72-55 in EuroLeague Round 5 to remain perfect at 5-0, Yabusele said he enjoys playing in front of hostile crowds but accused fans of crossing the line by throwing objects and spitting at him.
The French star finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in 20 minutes.
“It is what it is. I never dodge those atmospheres,” Yabusele told Sportal.gr. “I’m one type of player that takes it positively because when you’re a basketball player, and you like to compete, to be able to be in a gym like this with 15,000 people against you, it’s something good.
“It’s something that I enjoy, something that I like. I don’t mind it.”
However, things escalated once Yabusele walked off the court.
“The only thing that I would say is, when I came out of the court, they started throwing stuff at me, spitting in my face, and s**t like that,” he continued.
“But what do you want me to say? It is what it is. The problem is everybody knows, but nobody does anything. Nobody does anything, and it is what it is. Anyway, we got the win, and that’s it.”
Meanwhile, Nigel Hayes-Davis, who led Panathinaikos with 14 points and 2 rebounds, compared Belgrade Arena to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, calling it “one of the best in the world.”
However, he also added a similar caveat, saying the atmosphere is fantastic as long as fans keep it safe and avoid throwing things or spitting at people.
Yabusele has history with Partizan
The hostile reception surrounding Yabusele carried some history. He was a Real Madrid player during the infamous brawl against Partizan in Game 2 of the 2023 EuroLeague playoff series.
The fight broke out after Sergio Llull committed a hard foul on Kevin Punter. During the altercation, Yabusele grabbed and threw Dante Exum to the floor, an incident that resulted in the Frenchman receiving a five-game suspension.
Yabusele later apologized for his actions.
Partizan left Madrid with a 2-0 series lead, but Real completed a turnaround by winning the next three games and taking the series 3-2 before ultimately capturing the 2023 EuroLeague championship.
Craziest EuroLeague Fight Ever That Decided Champions
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