Team USA basketball may be able to block Joel Embiid from leaving the team in the future. The center would need the approval of USA basketball to play for another country due to international basketball rules, per The Stein Line Substack account. Embiid expressed an interest in possibly playing for Cameroon at the 2028 Olympic games in Los Angeles.
The Philadelphia 76ers center played a pivotal role for Team USA in the Paris games. Team USA won the gold medal, with Embiid either starting or playing a supporting role in most of the games. The big man famously chose to play for the American club over France, or Cameroon. That decision got him booed in Paris by fans. Embiid holds passports from the United States, France, and Cameroon, which allowed him to choose where he wanted to play.
Now that Team USA was his first choice, it appears Embiid may be locked into that decision. The player can only switch country affiliations after the age of 17 if he is granted such clearance by both FIBA and USA Basketball, per the The Stein Line. There will hopefully be no bad blood if Embiid does choose to go a different direction in the 2028 Olympics.
Team USA would gladly welcome Joel Embiid back
Team USA faces more pressure than usual to win gold at the 2028 Olympic games. Not only does the United States have to defend its gold medal from Paris, but it will also be doing so on its own turf. The 2028 games are in Los Angeles, California.
The Americans won't find it easy to win in L.A., most likely. The team will have a new head coach, as Steve Kerr is stepping away from the squad. There are already a few candidates named who might replace him, according to rumors. The Americans are also going to be without Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant in 2028. James finished the 2024 Paris games as the MVP. Team USA wouldn't have won gold without Curry, who made three after three in the team's last two contests. There are some big shoes to fill, with those expected losses.
Team USA will likely have Anthony Davis back, as well as Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards. There are certainly many more candidates who can fill spots, so it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
Embiid certainly has time to think about what he wants to do for the next games. In the meantime, he's going to be trying to bring an elusive NBA championship back to Philadelphia with the 76ers.
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