Boomer Matisse breaks silence on brutal toll of injuries

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Australian Boomers unrestricted NBA free agent Matisse Thybulle revealed his injury-ravaged Portland Trail Blazers career has dramatically shifted his perspective on what it is – and means – to be a professional basketballer.

Thybulle, 29, has missed 136 regular-season NBA games since he played his last game for the Australian Boomers on September 3, 2023, in a 100-84 win against Georgia at the FIBA Men’s World Cup.

“When you have this taken away from you, it shifts your perspective,” Thybulle said at his Trail Blazers exit interview.

“You realise how much is not in your control.

“You work hard to get here, but going through the last two or three years, I’ve seen how much can be taken away, whether you want it to or not.

“I have a deeper appreciation now and a greater gratitude just to be part of it — to be an NBA player, to play basketball.

“That’s something my younger self didn’t fully grasp, and now it’s something I really cherish.”

The American-Australian played 30 games for the Blazers in 2025-26, averaging 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 16 minutes per game.

Matisse Thybulle Injuries – 2023–24 (Portland)

• Multiple ankle + hip + foot interruptions (Jan–Apr cluster)
• No long-term shutdown, but repeated short absences

Played 65 / 82
Missed: 17 games

2024–25 (Major disruption year)

• Knee injuries (Oct–Dec)
• Ankle injuries (Dec–March)
• One continuous availability collapse

Played 15 / 82
Missed: 67 games

2025–26 (Partial recovery, still interrupted)

• Hip > finger > finger > knee > foot
• One major block: Nov 28 → Feb 11 (≈ 2.5 months)

Played 30 / 82
Missed: 52 games

The Blazers were knocked out in the first round of the NBA Playoffs 4-1 by the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week.

As an unrestricted free agent, the 2021 Olympic Games bronze medallist can now sign with any NBA team for his 10th season in the league. But he is talking as though his future remains in Oregon.

“Personally, I was just happy to get healthy and be able to stay healthy, and then just getting a chance to get back in the rotation and make an impact,” Thybulle said.

“As a team, I feel like from the outside looking in we really overachieved, but I think for everyone who’s been around – like I’m sure you guys feel it, and we all feel it in the locker room – we have more to give.

“There’s a lot more that we can get out of this group. So we’ll take a pat on the back for beating the odds – Vegas, whatever it was that they had for us – but I think for us, we all see how much potential we have that is still untapped.

“We look forward to getting key pieces, getting Dame back, and just seeing what can happen when we run it back.”

Thybulle has earned more than USD $45.5M during his career.

“I don’t really know how the whole proper free agency thing goes,” he admitted.

“I was a restricted free agent before, but this is very different.

“I don’t have expectations – I don’t know what to expect – but I would love to be a part of this team again.

“Like I said, it’s a great group with a lot of potential – good people. I talk about this with my friends and even older players who’ve been traded – I don’t know if everyone on this team fully realises how good a group we really have.

“You can get a couple of bad eggs that spoil it, but we don’t have anything close to that.

“The level of care and the quality of character in our locker room is something that’s really nice to be a part of.

“Personally, I would love to be here and continue growing with this team – but like I said, no expectations.”

The fact that Portland made the playoffs was a feat in itself, given that head coach Chauncey Billups was among more than 30 individuals arrested on October 23, 2025, in two cases involving alleged large-scale schemes tied to rigged poker games and sports betting. He was immediately suspended by the Blazers.

Authorities claimed he acted as a celebrity “face card” to attract players to games held in New York, Las Vegas, Miami and the Hamptons, and received financial compensation, including a $US50,000 wire transfer following one alleged game in October 2020.

The 49-year-old was in his fifth season as head coach of the Trail Blazers and was suspended without pay, but remains free on bond. He previously played 17 seasons in the NBA, winning a championship and Finals MVP with the Detroit Pistons in 2004, and holds a 117–211 coaching record across his first four seasons in Portland.

Chauncey Billups has pleaded not guilty in a Brooklyn federal courthouse to charges of conspiring with the mafia to rig illegal poker games.

Assistant coach Tiago Splitter was immediately elevated to acting head coach.

“With Chauncey, it was more personal encouragement,” Thybulle revealed Billups’ coaching style.

“With Thiago, it’s more the structure of the offence encouraging everyone to get involved.

“I think I made strides over the summer, and honestly, through being injured with my shot, I felt encouragement from the coaches to take more catch-and-shoot opportunities.

“They were available, given how our offence runs.

“I think what we just went through – there’s so much that can be gained from lived experience.

“We beat Vegas’ numbers, but for us, having a disappointing playoff experience gives you so much raw material to work with – how to improve, what worked, what didn’t.

“We’ve been labelled a young team, and I don’t think people realise how hard that is in this league. The learning curve is so steep.

“Each season, you see players make big jumps – some of that is development, but a lot is just understanding how to play in the NBA and building basketball IQ.”

Thybulle was impressed with Splitter’s ability to lead the Blazers into the playoffs.

“On the court, there’s a term – if it’s late in the shot clock and someone throws you the ball because they don’t have a good look, and you have to shoot it with no time left, they call it a ‘grenade’.

“In a sense, that’s kind of what Thiago was thrown.

“We beat the projections of what we were supposed to be capable of with a good, healthy team and a normal situation.

“Tiago took on a job that wasn’t originally planned and a roster that didn’t get stable until the last couple of games of the season.

“In some cases, it’s a bit of a miracle. But even if you overachieve, it can still be disappointing for people.

“As far as I’m concerned, Tiago did an amazing job — he knocked it out of the park.

“But from the outside, we didn’t perform well in the playoffs. We had ups and downs.

“If you look at the big picture, I don’t know how many people could replicate what he did with what he had.”

Thybulle revealed explosive details about Billups, the coaching change, and how the Blazers regrouped, calling it a unique experience.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen anything like it before,” he declared.

“Everyone here is competent – that’s how you get here – but the quality of character is what stands out.

“People were able to put their pride, ego, and agendas aside. None of this works if you don’t buy in at every level – coaches, trainers, players.

“Nothing went according to plan, but we still pulled it out.

“That has everything to do with the quality of people in the building, more than anything else.

“Everyone was willing to throw themselves into the fire and make it about the main thing – trying to win games and do what’s best for the team.”

Now that Thybulle is healthy and a free agent, he and the Blazers have a decision to make. Double down and go again on an injury-plagued three seasons, or part ways.

Matisse Thybulle's NBA Career: By the Numbers

Matisse Thybulle's Boomers Career: By the Numbers

Matisse Thybulle's 2023 FIBA World Cup: By the Numbers

Matisse Thybulle Career Earnings Breakdown

Total Career Earnings

• $45,588,127 USD

Philadelphia 76ers (2019–2023) — Rookie Deal

4 years – $12,513,127

• 2019–20: $2,582,160
• 2020–21: $2,711,280
• 2021–22: $2,840,160
• 2022–23: $4,379,527

Total (PHI): $12.51M

Portland Trail Blazers (2023–2026) — Second Contract

3 years – $33,075,000

• 2023–24: $10,500,000
• 2024–25: $11,025,000
• 2025–26: $11,550,000

Total (POR): $33.07M

Matisse Thybulle Availability

• 2023–24: 79% availability
• 2024–25: 18% availability
• 2025–26: 37% availability

3-year average: ~45% availability

Injury Pattern

1. Lower body dominant

• Ankles (multiple clusters)
• Knees (recurring)
• Hip involvement

2. Compounding injuries

• 2024–25 = cascading breakdown
• 2025–26 = recovery but not stable

3. Fragmented availability

• Not just long injuries
• Repeated stop-start interruptions