Philadelphia 76ers rookie Matisse Thybulle was just trying to find his way in the crazy world that is the NBA. There is a huge adjustment that must be made from the huge uptick in games to the level of competition, all of that travel, and the rookie duties that come with it.
Throw in a global pandemic that causes the season to put on pause in March and that is enough to drive anybody crazy. Thybulle joined The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to discuss what went through his mind the night the league was put on hiatus.
It’s crazy because for me, just being in the NBA is crazy. I’m just trying to figure it out and as I think I’m hitting a groove and finding a routine, everything gets shut down and to have this be my life and my new normal and put on hold in a way that noone’s ever seen before, it’s confusing. It left me and a lot of guys in this limbo. I’m just trying to figure out what’s next.
Since then, the NBA has resumed the season inside this bubble at Disney World in Orlando and Thybulle’s star has risen. He has started his own YouTube channel and has created his vlogs to document this historic moment in sports history.
However, Thybulle was not originally on board with living inside the bubble. It sounded a little wild to him when he first heard about it.
It sounded crazy. I mean, it is crazy! The fact that we’re even here, but when I first heard it I was like ‘There’s no way they can do that, right?’…They also sent out this manual of what they’re going to be doing. It was like over 100 pages of the health protocols. I mean, I didn’t read it but I definitely saw if they were going to put that much into the whole thing to send the players, I was like, ‘Okay. They definitely put some thought into this.’
Thybulle and the Sixers continue their life in the bubble on Wednesday when they take on the Washington Wizards at Disney World. [lawrence-related id=36125,36116,36108]