France wants Embiid for the JJ.OO. 2024

HENDERSON, Nev. — Joel Embid You have two options: The red, white and blue of the United States or the blue, white and red of France.

An Olympic medal could hang on his decision.

France is still hopeful that Embiid, the reigning NBA scoring champion, will choose to wear its colors for the 2024 Paris Olympics despite recently becoming a US citizen, national team coach Vincent said on Thursday. Collette.

Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers star, can choose to play internationally for the United States or France, but not both. He was supposed to play for France at the Paris Games and possibly even at next year’s FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup in the Philippines, until Embiid revealed last week that he too now has US citizenship.

“Now he has both nationalities, and he has to choose a basketball nationality, which is not the same thing,” Collet told The Associated Press. “So, that’s a choice. Nobody can do anything to change it.”

Embiid told the AP last week that it’s too early to think about a decision. By rule, he will eventually have to declare his choice to FIBA, the sport’s international governing body, if it decides he wants to play in the Olympics or World Cup.

France is the current Olympic silver medalist and plans to have a team with Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nicholas Batum and, quite possibly, the best prospect in the NBA draft, Victor Wembanyama, at the Paris Games. France’s plan is essentially to take what will be its Olympic roster to the World Cup next year.

Without Embiid, that French core has been extremely formidable. In addition to the 2021 silver in Tokyo, France won bronze at the 2019 World Cup and silver again at this year’s European Championships.

With Embiid, that group would appear to be even better. Collet said that Boris Diaw, the general manager of the French team, has been in contact with Embiid to discuss options.

“I know he met with some of our players to talk,” Collet said. “I think he should play with us. But we’ll see. We’ll respect his decision whatever it is.”

Embiid was born in Cameroon and also has French citizenship. His girlfriend Anne de Paula is Brazilian, his son is American, he went to high school in Florida and played college basketball in Kansas.

The five-time NBA All-Star and four-time All-NBA has spent his entire professional career with Philadelphia, averaging 26.0 points in his first six seasons and a career-best 30.6 points on his way to the scoring crown. Last season.

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France wants Embiid for the JJ.OO. 2024