Joel Embiid Joins Team USA for Paris Olympics Amid French Crowd Anticipation

Joel Embiid, holding French and American citizenship, has joined Team USA for the Paris Olympics. Instead of playing for France or Cameroon, he chose the U.S. team aiming for its fifth consecutive gold medal. Embiid feels prepared for any crowd reactions due to his past NBA playoff experiences.

Joel Embiid, who holds both French and American citizenship, is bracing himself for any jeers from the French crowd at the Paris Olympics, thanks to his grueling NBA playoff battles. Initially, many thought Embiid would don the jersey of Les Bleus or his native Cameroon for his Olympic debut, but he chose to join Team USA in pursuit of its fifth consecutive gold medal.

"I don't think it should be anything, but if it's more than that, I embrace it," Embiid told The Athletic at Team USA's training camp in Las Vegas. "I don't think you can get worse than playing in New York in the playoffs."

Embiid, a star for the Philadelphia 76ers, had a tough decision to make regarding which country to represent but finally chose the U.S. because of the time he had spent in the country and the fact that his son was born there. The U.S. team, featuring talents like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, will begin their campaign against Serbia on July 28 in Lille, France.

(With inputs from agencies.)