On Thursday, Philadelphia 76ers superstar center and reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid made a surprising announcement that he’s committing to Team USA for next summer’s Olympics in Paris, France.
With so much going on with the 76ers franchise, namely the unresolved James Harden trade situation, it’s anyone’s guess why Embiid would make this decision right now, especially considering anything can happen over the course of the upcoming season that might change things.
However, Embiid felt compelled to make this decision and went as far as having a graphic made to announce the decision on his Twitter account, with a long explanation about why he picked the United States over Cameroon and France.
“I’m really proud and excited about this decision. It was not easy. I am blessed to call Cameroon, France, and the USA home.” Embiid said.
I’m really proud and excited about this decision. It was not easy. I am blessed to call Cameroon, France, and the USA home. After talking to my family, I knew it had to be Team USA. I want to play with my brothers in the league. I want to play for my fans because they’ve… pic.twitter.com/6VHSQTKVl3
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) October 5, 2023
Going all out for a decision like this is an interesting move for Embiid, as maybe it is a way to get more superstars around the league to make the same decision ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season.
Along with Embiid making his decision public, fellow superstars Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns have also committed to be part of Steve Kerr’s squad when they head to Paris next summer.
It’ll be interesting to see if more players in the league choose to follow in the footsteps of these three superstars, which is already off to a great start for Kerr and company as they try to avenge finishing fourth in the FIBA World Cup recently.
Team USA’s roster for the 2024 Olympics will remain a storyline over the course of the upcoming season.
NEXT: Stephen A. Smith Reacts To Big Joel Embiid News
