Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid is set to make his Olympic debut as he commits to representing Team USA at the 2024 Paris Games.
The announcement follows a meeting with Team USA executive director Grant Hill, where he shared his decision. Subsequently, Embiid confirmed the news on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Hill traveled to Fort Collins to discuss this opportunity with Embiid, who is currently engaged in a training camp with James Harden and other members of the 76ers.
Embiid Chooses to Represent Team USA Over France and Cameroon
As the reigning league MVP, Embiid had three significant options to consider before reaching this decision. Born in Cameroon, he possesses dual citizenship in both France and the United States, which led to an intense recruiting battle.
France had even set an October 10 deadline in September, hoping to secure a commitment. However, it appears that Embiid didn’t require the additional five days to finalize his choice.
While it seemed as of Monday that Cameroon was unlikely to be the destination for Embiid’s services this summer, it wasn’t because he didn’t want to represent his native country.
Embiid’s Strong Desire to Help Team USA Regain Olympic Dominance
He expressed his deep love for all three options, emphasizing his strong desire to play in the Olympics. Embiid noted that if Cameroon had a chance to qualify for the Olympics, that would make his decision easy, but that still remained uncertain, as Cameroon had to qualify for the 12-team Paris competition next July.
Embiid made these statements during media day, where numerous prominent players from around the league also expressed their commitment to Team USA. The list of interested stars includes Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, NBA’s all-time leading scorer LeBron James, two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant, and a host of other highly skilled American players.
The renewed interest in the Olympics comes after the United States failed to secure a medal at the FIBA World Cup the previous month. It marked the second consecutive time Team USA returned from the tournament without any hardware, despite entering with the goal of winning gold.
Embiid is said to share the sentiment of wanting to help America regain its dominance on the global stage and has a personal motivation to win a gold medal for his son, Arthur, who was born with U.S. citizenship three years ago.
