The seven-time NBA All-Star and MVP of 2023, superstar center Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, has recently garnered attention as he had earlier chosen Team USA over Team France regarding the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Embiid was born in Cameroon and in 2022, he was also given French citizenship. He holds three nationalities, Cameroonian, French, and American. He has not yet represented any country in any international competition.
However, his playing for France was earlier brought up in 2018, as he had shared with a French newspaper, L’Equipe, that if he ever played in FIBA, his first preference would be for Cameroon as per The Athletic, he had mentioned, “My native country (Cameroon), France and the United States are my current options. I just want good management.”
Embiid has maintained that he never told Team France that he would play for them. However, French men’s national team general manager and former NBA player, Boris Diaw and the president of the French Basketball Federation, Jean-Pierre Siutat, both have maintained that they assisted Embiid in gaining French citizenship, so that he would play from the side of France.
"Team USA, with him, who can beat you? Come on, nobody. This is an easy way for him to get an Olympic medal."
Jean Pierre Siutat, President of the French Basketball Federation, on Sixers star Joel Embiid playing for Team USA over Team France in the Paris Olympics this summer 👀… pic.twitter.com/qJINyCNX1M
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 20, 2024
Diaw shared, “Joel came to us and said that he wanted to play international basketball, he said he wanted to win, and he said he wanted to play for France and he wanted to win with France. So we listened to him.”
President of the French Basketball Federation, Jean Pierre Siutat, talks about Joel Embiid flip-flopping on his France commitment and joining the USA
“Team USA, with him, who can beat you? Come on, nobody. This is an easy way for him to get an Olympic medal.”😬
(Via… pic.twitter.com/RUvcXo6jtX
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 20, 2024
Siutat also mentioned, “Team USA, with him, who can beat you? Come on, nobody. This is an easy way for him to get an Olympic medal.”
The participation of Embiid in the upcoming Paris Olympics will depend on many factors. He has missed many games for the 76ers as he had sustained a knee injury earlier and has recently joined a practice session.
