Joel Embiid Chooses Team USA Over France, Cameroon After Intense Olympics Recruiting Battle
After months of speculation, 76ers star and reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid has reportedly decided if he’ll join the United States, France or his native Cameroon for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Embiid, following an intense recruiting battle, shared his commitment on Thursday to play for Team USA, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, setting in motion the 29-year-old’s eventual debut in international competition.
Embiid’s monumental decision came “just days,” per Shelburne, after a meeting with Team USA executive director and NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill in Ft. Collins, Colo., where the Sixers are currently holding training camp.
Born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Embiid faced a tough choice ahead of next year’s Summer Games, with three countries and their respective players vying for his services. The fervor surrounding where the six-time All-Star would play intensified last year when Embiid obtained U.S. citizenship in September and citizenship in France, where he has family, in July.
With his choice now made, Embiid will look to fulfill his reported desire to help Team USA reign supreme in the international basketball world after a stunning exit at the FIBA World Cup in Manila earlier this summer.
In addition to Embiid, Team USA’s roster could include the likes of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and even LeBron James, as players continue to rally around hopes of a gold medal in France.
