Joel Embiid chose to play for the U.S. over France at the Olympics. The French won't let him forget

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12:20 PM on Sunday, July 28, 2024

By KYLE HIGHTOWER

VILLENEUVE-D'ASCQ, France (AP) — Joel Embiid chose to play for the U.S. over France at the Paris Olympics. And the French didn't let him forget about it. French fans attending the U.S. men’s basketball team’s Olympic opener against Serbia were forceful with how they feel about the NBA star for the Philadelphia 76ers and native of Cameroon. He was met with a boos whenever he did anything on the court — be it during pregame introductions, coming off the bench, touching the ball. Why? It centers on his decision not to play for France, which granted him naturalized citizenship status in 2022 even though he’s never lived there. He also had the option of playing for Cameroon, but it didn't qualify.