Much has been made of Cameroon native Joel Embiid joining Team USA for the 2024 Olympics. Now, even Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is turning on the former NBA MVP.
Haliburton joked with Embiid about his passport as the team sailed the Parisian waters.
“Give your passport back,” Haliburton said as Embiid waved a mini-American flag.
“I'm American, man!” Embiid responded. Haliburton also added a “Captain America” caption to the Instagram story.
Is Embiid getting unfairly harassed by the basketball world for his decision to join the Red, White, and Blue?
Joel Embiid would have gotten more respect for joining another team in the Olympics
Embiid could have played for Cameroon or France, rather than joining the American super-team, via USA Today's Jeff Zilgitt.
“Embiid had national team choices,” Zilgitt explained. “Born in Cameroon, he could’ve played for his native country. He also could’ve played for France, which recruited him heavily to play alongside Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama. Imagine that front line for France.”
Haliburton's joke, of course, was a reference to French fans telling Embiid to “give back his passport” after choosing the American squad, since he's a French citizen.
“Embiid considered France but the country’s national team federation gave Embiid a deadline to decide, and he didn’t like that,” Zilgitt continued. “France president Emmanuel Macron even texted Embiid, and the two talked on the phone. The French president's campaign to get Embiid fell short.”
Embiid, who moved to the USA from Cameroon at 16 to pursue a professional basketball career, was well within his right to choose the American squad. However, he won't get the same type of respect from hoops fans as superstars like Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who all play for their native squads despite not having as much talent on those teams.
Furthermore, Embiid has been outplayed by Anthony Davis through the five exhibition games at the Olympics. Davis recorded 11.8 points per game on 48.8% shooting, with 9.8 rebounds, one steal and three blocks. Embiid scored 10.4 points on 51.5% shooting, with 6.8 boards, 0.8 steals and just 0.2 blocks.
Therefore, Embiid is likely to come off the bench as Davis' backup when the group-stage games start on Sunday. Winning a gold medal as a role player on a stacked team isn't as interesting of a legacy as a star player who carries an undermanned team deep into the tournament, which is why hoops fans around the world have given him a hard time.
Regardless, the controversial star has a chance to win his first gold medal this summer, which would be a welcome addition to a trophy case that only consists of individual awards at the moment.
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