Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid now has French citizenship, and he is eligible to play for the French national team in international play. He will be able to play in FIBA games for France and participate in future international events.
The French national team general manager and former NBA champion, Boris Diaw, sat down with BasketNews, and he confirmed Embiid would have played in the 2022 EuroBasket if not for the hand injury he sustained in the playoffs:
“His (Joel Embiid’s) request for naturalization has been accepted,” said Diaw.
“We know that he’s still waiting for the French passport. When he obtains it, then he can start the process and apply for a FIBA license for the national team,” continued Diaw.
“He would’ve liked to play this summer if he hadn’t been injured. But he underwent hand surgery and didn’t return to basketball,” Diaw revealed.
BasketNews also added it’s likely that Embiid plays for France in the 2023 World Cup for France. He will join a team that gave Team USA a run for its money in the 2020 Olympics. France made the gold medal game before falling to the Americans in a close matchup.
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