Joel Embiid playing for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023. Photo by Tim Nwachukwu via Getty Images
The standard across international sports is that players represent the country they are born in or identify as part of. That is no different for FIBA, the organization that is responsible for governing the game of basketball on the international stage, and in particular this year’s Summer Olympics.
Many NBA players have chosen to partake in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which will be held from July 26 to August 11. And the majority of NBA players, in particular the top names partaking in the games, are opting to play for Team USA. One of those players is Joel Embiid.
Embiid has solidified himself as a powerhouse in the NBA, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to multiple playoff appearances over the past several seasons. Now, he will serve as yet another force in Team USA after choosing to play for them over his other home countries of Cameroon and France.
Embiid’s Decision
Embiid, who was born in Cameroon in 1994, emigrated to the U.S. at age 16 to pursue basketball. He also holds citizenship in the United States and France, and was eligible to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris for either Team USA, Team France, or Team Cameroon.
However, back in October 2023, he opted to choose Team USA. Embiid admitted at that time that the choice was not easy, but he made the decision based on the fact that his son is American. Embiid and his then-girlfriend, Anne De Paula, welcomed their son Arthur Elijah De Paula Embiid in 2020.
“I love all three options, you know, with my home country, which I love a lot,” Embiid said. “But I really want to participate in the Olympics, that’s been my goal and my dream. And you add that with the fact that my son is American, and I’ve been here for such a long time.”
According to him, that was the main reason why he chose to play for Team USA rather than Team France or Team Cameroon, but he also stated that another reason was because at the time, Team USA lost the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines.
He believed that he would make enough of an impact to get Team USA over the hump at the Olympics this summer, once again putting America at the top of the global basketball world.
Ire From France
Back in March, Embiid’s decision to play for Team USA over Team France drew criticism from Jean Pierre Siutat, the current President of the French Basketball Federation. Siutat denounced Embiid’s decision to join Team USA, believing he took the easy way out by joining a superteam over the French national team.
“Team USA, with him, who can beat you? Come on, nobody,” said Siutat. “This is an easy way for him to get an Olympic medal.”
France, of course, is the host nation of the 2024 Summer Olympics, which Embiid will be a part of, but for Team USA. Those reasons are why Embiid chose to represent the United States on the international stage, and he bolsters an already stacked lineup featuring basketball’s greatest stars.
