Matisse Thybulle has had an active hiatus.
From marching for equality, to reading, to yoga, the rookie has taken his time for self-improvement seriously.
Here’s some of what he’s been up to…
The rookie’s quarantine started on TikTok, and what began as an experiment became an instant skill. He racked up a quick 136,600 followers in less than three months.
“This TikTok stuff was never a plan of mine. I’m just as bored as everyone else - but my outlet is creating stupid videos in my apartment.”
As for his daily routine, Thybulle says it’s all about varied consistency.
“I wake up, meditate, then eat breakfast. Meditation can be doing something on an app, doing some sort of breathing, or sitting for 30 minutes. It can be all those things. I’m a curious person, so I’ll research things. I talk to some of my friends. Around the afternoon, I work out, go for a run, do yoga, that kind of stuff. I need variation. Within each category, there’s three or four things I can do. It varies.”
Looking back at the first part of the 76ers’ 2019-20 campaign, Thybulle discussed his progression of living a relatively anonymous life to becoming a fan favorite in Philadelphia.
“When I first got to Philly, people recognized me. I hadn’t even put on a Philadelphia 76ers jersey, and people were recognizing me. I was like, ‘This is crazy.’ And then it just got bigger and bigger from there.
“I think more than anything, I’ve had to learn how to adapt to being an NBA player, and a celebrity to some people. That’s been weird for me because I’ve never been that, at any stage of my career. I’ve never viewed myself that way. I still don’t view myself that way. But now it’s about accepting, okay, there are some people who actually think of me in this light, and how can I use that to help inspire?”
Reflecting on his play, Thybulle said the 76ers' camaraderie stands out.
“The shared success that we all have out there is special. I think we’re really lucky, because I don’t think that’s the norm across the league… [Furkan is] a perfect example of somebody who’s had some pretty good success this season. And if you see our bench, or even the guys on the court, as it’s happening, we’re probably more excited than he is. And I think that’s pretty special. It’s a cool bond that we all have… Or giving [a scoring opportunity] up to Mike, for me, is just as exciting as me pushing it out for a fastbreak.”
He also discussed learning from and collaborating with Ben Simmons on the defensive end.
“I’ve never [played with someone like Ben]. Someone who demands so much attention - it opens up shooters like me, and guys like Joel in the post, because when [Ben] has the ball, five guys have to have their eyes on him, worried about him. It makes a lot of our jobs off the ball a lot easier. I feel bad for other teams, I would not want to guard him. [In preseason], we both made life pretty hard for each other. He’s the perfect athlete - he’s tall, he’s athletic, he’s strong.”
Some fun facts about Matisse…
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Sydney, Australia (he spent much of his childhood in Australia) is his favorite place to visit.
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He can solve a Rubik’s Cube in one minute.
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He eats kiwis with the skin on.
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His shoe size is 13.
6 things Matisse can’t live without in quarantine...
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Food
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Water
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Cellphone
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Books
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Yoga mat
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Dumbells
Looking ahead at a return-to-play, Thybulle is ready to pick up where the team left off.
“More than anything, [I’m looking forward to] being able to play basketball together. Get back out there, get that feel, that chemistry, that flow going that we had. Because we were doing a pretty good job, and we were having a lot of fun doing it. Just to have that feeling back.”
Check back into sixers.com to post up with more of the 76ers as the hiatus continues.