Yet beyond the basketball reasons that make Yabusele such a coveted addition lies a fascinating subplot. Three years ago, the same player found himself at the center of one of the most controversial nights in EuroLeague history. On the opposite bench stood Obradovic.
In April 2023, Yabusele became the most heavily punished player in the infamous Real Madrid-Partizan playoff brawl, receiving a five-game suspension after throwing Dante Exum to the floor during a mass altercation that shocked European basketball. The incident dominated headlines, sparked fierce debate across the continent and ultimately altered the course of an entire playoff series.
Today, the man who coached Partizan that night has made Yabusele one of the cornerstone signings of his new Panathinaikos era.
The journey from villain to valued recruit is one of the most remarkable storylines of the modern EuroLeague.
A series already filled with tension
The 2022-23 EuroLeague quarterfinals paired Real Madrid and Partizan in what many expected to be one of the most competitive playoff series of the season.
Real Madrid entered as one of the favorites to win the title, boasting a roster loaded with veterans and stars. Partizan, meanwhile, had returned to the playoffs under Obradovic and carried enormous momentum after an outstanding regular season.
The opening game in Madrid immediately shifted the balance of the series.
Partizan stunned the home side when Kevin Punter buried a dramatic game-winning three-pointer over Yabusele, giving the Serbian club a 1-0 lead and stealing home-court advantage.
Two days later, Partizan looked poised to take complete control.
With less than two minutes remaining in Game 2, Obradovic’s team led by 15 points. The crowd inside the WiZink Center had largely fallen silent. Real Madrid appeared headed toward a devastating 0-2 deficit before the series shifted to Belgrade.
What followed became one of the defining moments in EuroLeague history.
The moment everything exploded
With 1:40 remaining and the outcome effectively decided, Sergio Llull committed a hard foul on Kevin Punter near midcourt.
The challenge immediately drew a reaction from the Partizan captain, who confronted the veteran Madrid guard. Players from both teams rushed toward the scene and tensions escalated within seconds.
What began as a confrontation between two players quickly became a full-scale brawl.
Shoving, grabbing and pushing spread across the floor as players and staff members attempted to separate those involved.
Then came the image that dominated basketball coverage across Europe.
Amid the chaos, Yabusele grabbed Dante Exum and forcefully threw him to the floor in a wrestling-style motion. Exum landed awkwardly and immediately appeared to be in significant pain.
Television replays circulated worldwide within minutes.
The French forward instantly became the central figure of the controversy.
Exum’s injury raised alarm
The seriousness of the situation increased dramatically when concerns emerged about Exum’s condition.
Partizan feared the Australian guard had suffered a major injury. Initial reports suggested possible tendon damage, while images of Exum leaving the arena heightened concern among supporters.
The injury deprived Partizan of one of their most important perimeter players at the most critical stage of the season.
Exum would eventually avoid the worst-case scenario, but he missed the remainder of the playoff series and his absence became a major factor in the games that followed.
For Partizan, the damage extended beyond the final minutes of Game 2.
EuroLeague handed down historic sanctions
Within 24 hours, the EuroLeague’s disciplinary process was underway.
The league reviewed extensive video footage before announcing a series of punishments.
Yabusele received a five-game suspension, by far the harshest sanction imposed on any player involved.
- Kevin Punter was suspended for two games.
- Mathias Lessort received a one-game suspension.
- Gabriel Deck was suspended for one game.
- Multiple financial penalties were also issued.
The EuroLeague specifically highlighted Yabusele’s actions against Exum as the most serious individual act during the altercation, explaining why his punishment exceeded those of every other player involved.
Because only a maximum of five playoff games remained in the series, the suspension effectively ended Yabusele’s EuroLeague season.
He would not play another minute in the competition that year.
Obradovic’s reaction
In the immediate aftermath, Obradovic attempted to lower tensions.
The legendary coach repeatedly emphasized that basketball had been overshadowed by events that should never have happened.
While clearly angered by the injury to Exum and the loss of key players through suspension, Obradovic consistently called for restraint and respect.
His comments reflected disappointment rather than escalation.
The Serbian coach focused primarily on protecting his players while insisting that the sport itself had suffered from the incident.
“What happened should never happen on a basketball court.”
In the hours following the incident, Obradovic resisted the temptation to inflame tensions further despite seeing one of his most important players leave the floor injured.
The Serbian coach’s measured response stood in contrast to the emotional fallout surrounding the series. Partizan supporters were furious, Real Madrid players were defending their teammates, and the EuroLeague found itself dealing with one of the most explosive disciplinary cases in its history.
Yabusele accepted responsibility
Once the EuroLeague announced the sanctions, Yabusele publicly acknowledged that he had made a serious mistake.
The French forward issued a public apology, describing his actions as unacceptable and expressing regret toward Exum, Partizan and basketball fans.
He admitted he had lost control in an emotional moment and accepted the punishment that followed.
“I want to apologize sincerely to Dante Exum, Partizan, my teammates, the club and all basketball fans.”
He admitted that emotions had gotten the better of him.
“I deeply regret my actions and I fully accept the consequences.”
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The apology did not erase criticism, particularly in Belgrade, but it marked the beginning of Yabusele’s efforts to move beyond a moment that threatened to overshadow the rest of his season.
Over the following months, Yabusele repeatedly faced questions about the altercation and consistently maintained a remorseful stance.
“The biggest mistake of my career”
For years, Yabusele largely avoided revisiting the incident in detail. But in an interview with First Team in June 2024, he finally offered perhaps his most candid account yet of what happened during the chaotic final moments in Madrid.
The French forward insisted that he never entered the confrontation intending to throw Dante Exum to the floor. According to Yabusele, he initially became involved after seeing Exum rush into the altercation surrounding Gabriel Deck.
“I saw Dante there. He jumped in and pushed Gabi’s head.”
Yabusele explained that his original intention was simply to restrain Exum as tensions escalated.
“I was trying to grab him. I didn’t want to do all that.”
But in an environment driven by adrenaline and chaos, events quickly spiraled beyond his control.
“Everything happened in the heat of the moment. When I grabbed him, he was moving a lot. He was moving, moving, with all the adrenaline, and then it just happened.”
Even while maintaining that the action was not premeditated, Yabusele admitted that he immediately understood the gravity of what had occurred.
As soon as emotions settled, reality hit.
“When everything calmed down, I told myself, ‘Damn, I’ve done something stupid.'”
Then came the realization that would stay with him long after the suspensions were announced.
“I think I made a very, very, very big mistake. Probably the biggest mistake of my career.”
Yabusele recalled spending the hours afterward wondering what consequences would follow and how much damage he had caused.
“We’ll see what the consequences are and everything that I’ll have to take responsibility for.”
🗣️ « Je me suis dis que j’avais fais la plus grosse connerie de ma carrière !»
Guerschon Yabusele nous raconte l’altercation avec Dante Exum et le Partizan Belgrade dans l’Entretien sorti aujourd’hui sur YouTube 📺 pic.twitter.com/Fo81KQEQ49
— First Team (@FirstTeam101) June 30, 2024
Returning to Belgrade
Perhaps even more surprising was what happened when Yabusele eventually returned to Belgrade with Real Madrid.
Many expected an openly hostile reception from Partizan supporters. Instead, Yabusele embraced the atmosphere.
“It went great,” he said in the same interview.
Far from fearing the reaction, he described it as one of the reasons elite athletes play at the highest level.
“That’s what I love the most. That’s why you play basketball.”
The Frenchman even appeared to relish the challenge of performing in front of an entire arena that viewed him as Public Enemy No. 1.
“Imagine having an entire arena against you and then scoring.”
Real Madrid had prepared extensively for the trip. Security measures around Yabusele were significantly increased, with personnel accompanying him throughout his time in Belgrade.
“They had security with me 24 hours a day.”
He recalled the uniquely intimidating walk from the tunnel to the court inside Partizan’s packed arena, where supporters stand only feet away from players.
“When you enter the court, the stands are right there. You walk through and they’re all around you.”
Yet even then, Yabusele appeared more energized than intimidated.
The comments reveal a player who has never attempted to deny what happened in Madrid, but who also refuses to let that night define his relationship with one of Europe’s most passionate basketball environments.
The brawl changed the series
The sporting consequences were enormous.
Before the fight, Partizan stood minutes away from returning to Belgrade with a commanding 2-0 lead and tremendous momentum.
Instead, both teams entered the next phase of the series without key players. Partizan arguably suffered the greater competitive blow.
Punter missed Games 3 and 4. Exum was unavailable because of injury. Lessort also served a suspension. Real Madrid lost Yabusele and Deck, but retained much of its core rotation.
The balance of power shifted dramatically. Madrid won Game 3. Then Game 4.
Suddenly, a series that had seemed almost over was tied at 2-2.
Back in Madrid for Game 5, Real completed the comeback and eliminated Partizan.
It became one of the greatest turnarounds in EuroLeague playoff history.
From crisis to championship
Remarkably, Yabusele’s suspension prevented him from participating further, but it did not prevent Real Madrid from achieving the ultimate prize.
The Spanish giants advanced to Kaunas and defeated Barcelona in the semifinal.
Two days later, Sergio Llull redeemed himself with the decisive basket against Olympiacos in the championship game.
Real Madrid lifted the EuroLeague trophy.
For many observers, the title run remained forever connected to the controversy that had unfolded weeks earlier.
The series against Partizan continued to provoke debate long after the season ended, with many wondering how events might have unfolded had the brawl never occurred.
Rebuilding his reputation
Despite the controversy, Yabusele refused to allow the incident to define his career.
He remained a key figure for Real Madrid during the following season, continuing to establish himself among Europe’s premier forwards.
His combination of strength, perimeter shooting, versatility and defensive physicality made him one of the most valuable frontcourt players in the EuroLeague.
The French national team continued to trust him. NBA scouts continued to monitor him.
And in 2024, he completed an impressive return to the NBA.
After shining with France and proving his value in Europe, Yabusele earned another opportunity across the Atlantic, first with Philadelphia and later through spells with New York and Chicago.
The comeback represented a significant personal achievement for a player many had written off years earlier.
Why Obradovic wants him now
Perhaps the most remarkable development is that the coach who witnessed the entire incident from the opposite bench now sees Yabusele as a player capable of helping lead Panathinaikos back to the EuroLeague summit.
That may ultimately say more about Yabusele’s response after the controversy than the controversy itself. Instead of being remembered solely for the incident, Yabusele rebuilt his standing through his performances with Real Madrid, his success with the French national team and ultimately his return to the NBA.
The French forward rebuilt trust through performance, professionalism and consistency.
Now, as Panathinaikos embarks on a new era under the most successful coach in EuroLeague history, Yabusele has emerged as a central piece of the project. The irony is impossible to ignore.
Three years ago, Yabusele was the player Partizan supporters blamed most for a playoff collapse that still hurts. He was the person whose actions helped trigger one of the darkest nights in recent EuroLeague memory. He was the player who injured one of Obradovic’s stars.
Three years after becoming the central figure in the darkest moment of a playoff series between Real Madrid and Partizan, he arrives in Athens not as a villain, but as one of the flagship signings of the Serbian coach’s new project.
Obradovic probably saw a person who accepted responsibility, rebuilt his reputation and remained one of the most impactful forwards available outside the NBA.
Basketball has always been a sport of second chances, changing perspectives and unlikely reunions.
And few are more surprising than Guerschon Yabusele and Zeljko Obradovic standing on the same side after everything that happened on that unforgettable night in Madrid.
