Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has a few decisions to make ahead of the upcoming Olympics. He has citizenship for both France and the United States, so he has to decide which international basketball powerhouse he wants to play for.
The U.S. and France competed for the gold medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The Americans squeaked out a victory. As the 2024 Olympics approach, both sides are vying for Embiid to play for their respective teams in the games.
Per Marc Stein via his substack:
League sources say that both red, white and blue teams that contested the gold-medal men’s basketball game in Tokyo actively covet Embiid’s commitment for the next Olympics.
Embiid is believed to be eager to play internationally under a different flag than his native Cameroon. He presumably would love to sample life in the global spotlight on the Olympic stage. So what international basketball hierarchy on Earth would choose not to listen if Embiid indicated he was interested? The Philadelphia 76ers star hasn’t revealed anything when asked directly by media members, but there were rumbles all summer that Embiid intends to play for France at the 2024 Olympics in Paris … and maybe even the 2023 World Cup in Asia.
It will be interesting to see where Embiid ends up when the Olympics roll around in 2024. If he plays for the U.S., it will continue to be the dominant force in international competition. If he plays for France, it will have a serious chance of knocking off the Americans and claiming gold.
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