Thybulle embraces 'whole lot of newness' with Lakers

• Boomers bronze medallist Matisse Thybulle has signed a one-year USD $3.3M deal with the Lakers
• The 29-year-old will wear No.26 after combining his previous NBA numbers, 22 and 4
• Thybulle says injuries have given him a deeper appreciation for his NBA career

Australian Boomers bronze medallist Matisse Thybulle admitted “it’ll definitely take some time to get used to” after signing with the 18-time NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers for the 2026-27 season.

“I think it’s a special opportunity to play for such a historic franchise, an accomplished franchise,” Thybulle said.

“To contribute in an arena and wearing a jersey that so many great players have worn is something I’m really excited about.”

Thybulle, 29, signed a one-year USD $3.3M deal to play alongside Luka Dončić.

He was part of the Australian men’s national team that claimed its historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 – Australia's first men's Olympic basketball medal.

Thybulle is heading into his ninth season in the NBA, with four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and four with the Portland Trail Blazers, the latter cut short by injury.

The American-born guard 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, heading into free agency earlier this year.

“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.”He played just 30 games for the Blazers in 2025-26, averaging 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 16 minutes per game.

Thybulle revealed he would wear 26 for the Lakers, a franchise with a remarkable 14 numbers retired, including Jerry West (44), Magic Johnson (32), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33), James Worthy (42), Shaquille O’Neal (34) and Kobe Bryant (8, 24).

“I chose 26 because my two numbers I’ve worn in the NBA are 22 and 4, which add up to 26,” he said.

“So, yeah, I chose this number because I just feel like it’s a new chapter, a fresh start, but still knowing what got me here.

“It’s a number I’ve never worn, a colour I’ve never worn – a whole lot of newness.”