Joel Embiid does not mind ruffling some feathers. That is exactly what Embiid did before the Team USA-France gold medal game on Saturday.
“They're going to boo me, I'm going to go back at them and tell them to suck it,” Embiid said Friday, via Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News.
Sure enough, Embiid was booed throughout the game. There was a chance that Embiid could have played for France at the Olympics, but he ultimately decided to play for Team USA. He is a citizen of the USA, France and Cameroon, so he could have played for any one of the three countries. In fact, Embiid even recently hinted at playing for Cameroon in 2028.
On Saturday, though, Embiid was playing for Team USA and helped them defeat France 98-87 in the gold medal game. After the contest, Embiid decided to have some fun with the fans as boos continued to emerge.
Joel Embiid clearly doesn't mind the negative attention. It is also clear that Team USA has his back.
How Joel Embiid played at the Olympics
Embiid endured his share of ups and downs at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Overall, he did play a big role in Team USA's success.
Embiid recorded 19 points against Serbia in the semi-final game. He only scored four points in 11 minutes on Saturday, but Embiid still contributed to the USA's gold medal Olympic run.
He will now get to rest and prepare for the 2024-25 season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Embiid is one of the best players in the NBA when healthy, and Philadelphia may have a chance to make a deep postseason run during the upcoming campaign if Embiid stays on the floor.
It will be interesting to see what Embiid's Olympic future holds. He could realistically play for the USA, France or Cameroon in 2028. Regardless, the fact is that Embiid is now a gold medal winning superstar.
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