Joel Embiid is the sole Team USA player getting booed and facing a high level of scrutiny at the Paris Olympics, leaving his teammates, including Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, confused.
“I don't know what is going on. I don't know why he gets booed all the time,” said Anthony Edwards in a post-game interview via Basketnews.
Anthony Edwards confusion on the Joel Embiid jeering
He even lightheartedly referenced his T’Wolves teammate Rudy Gobert, saying, “But you got Wemby and Rudy; why would he play with y'all? Wemby and Rudy, what more do y'all want? You want three 7-footers?”
Embiid's decision to not represent France at the Paris Olympics, despite acquiring French citizenship in 2022 and earlier indications that he would play for them, has fueled the resentment from basketball fans.
The Philadelphia 76ers star obtained both French and U.S. passports within weeks in 2022. Despite being born in Cameroon and moving to Florida for high school, he has never lived in France. He independently completed the naturalization process to become a U.S. citizen, as confirmed by his spokesman and USA Basketball officials.
Embiid had long considered representing the French national team internationally throughout his career and had publicly shared his interest in doing so in various social media posts and reports from the media.
Joel Embiid joining Team USA
Joel Embiid decided to join Team USA in September, pointing to his son's birth in the U.S. as a significant factor. Sources close to him also mentioned that persistent pressure from French officials, who anticipated he would honor his initial commitment to play for France after securing a passport, played a role in his choice.
Heading into the Paris Olympics, Joel Embiid was expected to be a key player for Steve Kerr. He was a regular in Team USA’s exhibitions and continued to start in the tournament's opening game.
In six starts for Team USA, five in the showcases and one in the Olympics, Embiid is averaging 9.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. In the Americans' 110-84 victory over Serbia on Sunday, he scored four points on 2-of-5 shooting during 11 minutes of play, having returned the day after missing practice due to illness.
Embiid's benching against South Sudan
However, Embiid was unexpectedly benched for the second game against South Sudan. Kerr's explanation for this decision has since clarified why the move was made.
“This is the fastest team in the tournament that we’re going to play, and so we wanted to match up. They made 14 threes against us in London. So the whole game today was going to be about switching, staying in front of people, not letting them break us down,” said the Team USA tactician.
Anthony Edwards' hypothetical lineup featuring Embiid, Wembanyama, and Gobert would have been fascinating to watch. However, Embiid has made his choice, and France is eager for vengeance for both this decision and their loss to Team USA in the 2020 Olympics.
Team USA will finish their Group C campaign against Puerto Rico (0-2) on Saturday. Meanwhile, Serbia (1-1), which secured a 107-66 victory over Puerto Rico earlier Wednesday thanks to an all-around Nikola Jokic's performance, will play South Sudan (1-1) on the same day. Both Serbia and South Sudan will be battling for a place in the quarterfinals.
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