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  4. title => "Practice? All Sixers' Matisse Thybulle has to work with is a mini hoop "
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  6. article_body => "<p>Matisse Thybulle\u2019s life had been fixated on basketball. He\u2019d studied film and scouting reports, attended shootarounds and practices, traveled on planes across the country with his teammates and played in 57 games as an NBA rookie.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s no longer the case. With the NBA season suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, Thybulle explained Monday in a remote interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia\u2019s Serena Winters that basketball is now a much smaller part of his life.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It\u2019s really limited,\u201d he said of his basketball activity. \u201cI\u2019ve felt guilty because I haven\u2019t really been doing much of basketball at all, just because I don\u2019t have access to a gym and I care about my neighbors enough not to pound a basketball through my apartment building. I\u2019ve been looking at other NBA players, seeing what they\u2019re doing, what they\u2019re saying. It seems to be a trend, that a lot of guys, they don\u2019t have access. And if they do, they\u2019re too worried to be around people or be exposed to too much. It\u2019s going to be interesting to see what we\u2019re all looking like once we come out of this.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This season, Thybulle\u2019s rookie campaign, has perhaps&nbsp;been the most bizarre one in league history. On Opening Night, he guarded the Celtics' Kemba Walker and admitted it was \u201cintimidating,\u201d remarking that he\u2019d played before as Walker in NBA2K. In late March, Thybulle was back playing virtual basketball, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/matisse-thybulle-sixers-mikal-bridges-suns-nba-2k-twitch\" target=\"_blank\">falling to the Suns\u2019 Mikal Bridges in a 2K matchup <\/a>both teams streamed on Twitch. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not my area of experience,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cYou want to get a&nbsp;Rubik\u2019s Cube-solving contest? I\u2019m pretty sure I\u2019ll win. I\u2019ll take any NBA player, I\u2019m pretty sure I can win that. But in terms of video games, I\u2019ll do it socially to talk with my friends and hang out with my friends, but I\u2019m not good.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While he hasn\u2019t been entirely separate from his teammates during this time \u2014 the players have stayed in touch through a group chat and a couple of team Zoom calls, he said \u2014 Thybulle has mostly been isolated in an apartment with his cousin. The 23-year-old&nbsp;had plenty of time to meditate, do yoga, read, workout and consider life outside of basketball&nbsp;<em>(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/sixers-matisse-thybulle-interview-tiktok-coronavirus-self-quarantine\" target=\"_blank\">see story<\/a><\/em>).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>When he\u2019s had a chance to play a miniature version of basketball, though, it hasn\u2019t gone very well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cI ordered a little mini hoop that I put on my door,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you saw <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@itsmatisse?language=en&amp;sec_uid=MS4wLjABAAAAi8EuENckZ6I25hWMlV7QFlUdas5PBu4njZyv3fI19e5FXz_VJoZpYGXM9lxALsbq&amp;u_code=d4f50l2djd32cb&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;app=musically&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;user_id=6654632135217709061&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;source=h5_m\" target=\"_blank\">my TikTok<\/a>, you\u2019ll see that I\u2019m not too good at shooting on it. I think I went 9 for 100. \u2026 Not my best day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the time he\u2019s not bricking mini hoop jumpers, Thybulle said he has&nbsp;thought some about how the NBA might change moving forward. As a rookie, it\u2019s an especially odd position to be in \u2014 considering how all the rhythms and habits you\u2019d finally become comfortable with could change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think about it, but I\u2019d just gotten used to the NBA,\u201d he said. \u201cI was just starting to figure it out and be good, and then everything gets changed and uprooted. I don\u2019t know what could work. But I think it\u2019s an interesting opportunity for the NBA to make some changes that maybe they\u2019d wanted to make or been meaning to make and hadn\u2019t had an opportunity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere could be some changes that could stick for a while, or there could be some changes that we don\u2019t like, and then we just go back to the regular thing. But I think it\u2019s an interesting opportunity to just try out some different things, because we\u2019ll have to, honestly.\u201d&nbsp;<br><br><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&amp;creative_id=nbcsphi1356&amp;cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&amp;cp_1=washington&amp;cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&amp;cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Sixers<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/2019-20-nba-season-adam-silver-nba-coronavirus\">Silver explains why NBA won\u2019t make a decision on season this month<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/2020-nba-mock-draft-sixers-kira-lewis-jr-nico-mannion-jahmius-ramsey\">Speedy point guard is a popular pick for Sixers in mock drafts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/sixers-1966-67-philadelphia-76ers-wilt-chamberlain-billy-cunningham-chet-walker-hal-greer\">Sixers Home School: The 1966-67 Sixers were one of the best NBA teams ever&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/2020-nba-draft-profile-tre-jones-duke-sixers\">Why stellar defender Tre Jones could be a good fit for the Sixers&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/jim-lynam-charles-barkley-trade-sixers-joel-embiid-ben-simmons\">Lynam laments Barkley trade, says it should serve as lesson for current Sixers <\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"
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76ers

76ers

Matisse Thybulle’s life had been fixated on basketball. He’d studied film and scouting reports, attended shootarounds and practices, traveled on planes across the country with his teammates and played in 57 games as an NBA rookie. 

That’s no longer the case. With the NBA season suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, Thybulle explained Monday in a remote interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Serena Winters that basketball is now a much smaller part of his life.

It’s really limited,” he said of his basketball activity. “I’ve felt guilty because I haven’t really been doing much of basketball at all, just because I don’t have access to a gym and I care about my neighbors enough not to pound a basketball through my apartment building. I’ve been looking at other NBA players, seeing what they’re doing, what they’re saying. It seems to be a trend, that a lot of guys, they don’t have access. And if they do, they’re too worried to be around people or be exposed to too much. It’s going to be interesting to see what we’re all looking like once we come out of this.

This season, Thybulle’s rookie campaign, has perhaps been the most bizarre one in league history. On Opening Night, he guarded the Celtics' Kemba Walker and admitted it was “intimidating,” remarking that he’d played before as Walker in NBA2K. In late March, Thybulle was back playing virtual basketball, falling to the Suns’ Mikal Bridges in a 2K matchup both teams streamed on Twitch.   

 

“It’s not my area of experience,” he said with a smile. “You want to get a Rubik’s Cube-solving contest? I’m pretty sure I’ll win. I’ll take any NBA player, I’m pretty sure I can win that. But in terms of video games, I’ll do it socially to talk with my friends and hang out with my friends, but I’m not good.” 

While he hasn’t been entirely separate from his teammates during this time — the players have stayed in touch through a group chat and a couple of team Zoom calls, he said — Thybulle has mostly been isolated in an apartment with his cousin. The 23-year-old had plenty of time to meditate, do yoga, read, workout and consider life outside of basketball (see story). 

When he’s had a chance to play a miniature version of basketball, though, it hasn’t gone very well. 

 “I ordered a little mini hoop that I put on my door,” he said. “If you saw my TikTok, you’ll see that I’m not too good at shooting on it. I think I went 9 for 100. … Not my best day.”

In the time he’s not bricking mini hoop jumpers, Thybulle said he has thought some about how the NBA might change moving forward. As a rookie, it’s an especially odd position to be in — considering how all the rhythms and habits you’d finally become comfortable with could change.

“I think about it, but I’d just gotten used to the NBA,” he said. “I was just starting to figure it out and be good, and then everything gets changed and uprooted. I don’t know what could work. But I think it’s an interesting opportunity for the NBA to make some changes that maybe they’d wanted to make or been meaning to make and hadn’t had an opportunity. 

“There could be some changes that could stick for a while, or there could be some changes that we don’t like, and then we just go back to the regular thing. But I think it’s an interesting opportunity to just try out some different things, because we’ll have to, honestly.” 

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