Knicks training camp is underway, with the team taking the court together for the first time on Wednesday in Westchester.
After hearing from established Knicks like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on Tuesday, Wednesday offered a chance to hear from a couple of newcomers in Jordan Clarksonand Guerschon Yabusele, a pair of veterans expected to have important roles on Mike Brown’s squad.
Clarkson, 33, is now on his fourth NBA team as he enters his 12th pro season, but he’s been able to score at a high clip every step of the way.
The Sixth Man of the Year award winner with Utah in 2020-21, Clarkson, who has averaged 16.0 points per game in his career, is ready to take on whatever role is needed as he begins his Knicks tenure.
“For me, I’m going to be myself within what’s going on already. …I’m going to make my changes or whatever I’ve got to do to fit in here and play the right way and figure that out,” Clarkson said. “It’s the first day of training camp, but I definitely feel like down the line all the guys know, you throw it to me, it’s going in there air. The majority of the time I feel like I’m open. But it comes with a grain of salt, and I know I have to take good shots and play the right way as well.”
Yabusele’s route to the Knicks is a different story. Originally selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft, Yabusele appeared in just 74 games with Boston before being waived and taking his career overseas.
But after helping France earn a silver medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Yabusele landed back in the NBA last season with the Sixers, averaging 11.0 points and 5.6 rebounds while playing in 70 games (43 starts).
“First and foremost I’m just really grateful to be here in this organization with everything that’s been done before,” Yabusele said. “Coming in here, my mindset was just really ty to play as a team, really try to be a good teammate first, on and off the court. Just try to bring all the energy possible, play every day with joy, bring the fun out there, and the rest is going to take care of itself."
After winning 51 regular season games and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks kept their talented core together, upgrading in the margins instead of trying to make a huge splash.
And with Brown now at the helm, Clarkson and Yabusele are ready to do whatever is asked of them to help the Knicks reach their ultimate goal of winning a title.
"The team is really good. They’re playing for something," Clarkson said. "These guys I’ve watched a lot during the playoffs and during the year. …I just wanted to be here."
"I just like the team, the spirit that they had on the court, the way they were playing tough every possession," added Yabusele. "They were really playing together, you can really tell they were bonding together and they had a goal together. They just fight on the court. They give everything out there."
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