Joel Embiid The coach of the French national team said on Saturday that he has not decided to play international basketball for the United States or France, but it is unlikely that he will play in the FIBA World Cup in August and September with his marriage. this summer.
French coach Vincent Colette And he said that if Embiid, runner-up in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers, does not play in the World Cup, he will have more time to decide which country he is likely to play for in the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to French media.
Embiid was born in Cameroon, but has never competed in a major international tournament and has not been publicly committed to any national team.
Last year, he was going to get both French and American citizenship. Cameroon has not qualified for the World Cup, making qualification for the Olympics unlikely. So Embiid will have to choose between the United States and France.
Colette’s comments were made on Saturday after the draw for the World Cup to be hosted by Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines.
Embiid’s decision on nationality could have a major impact on the men’s tournament at the 2024 Olympics.
At the Tokyo Olympics, a French team led by another center, Rudy Goubert, handed the United States its first Olympic loss since 2004. It was in a team match. The Americans then beat the French in the gold medal game, 87-82.
That the French national team had five players in the NBA versus 12 players in the United States: Nicholas BatumAnd Evan FournierAnd Timothy Lowe CaprotAnd Frank Netlikina Joubert.
France has another 19 7-footer Victor WimbanyamaWho is projected to be the first pick in the June NBA draft.
A France team with three 7-foot-3 baserunners could cause problems for the United States, which may be weak in the middle.
Anthony Davis, who missed the Tokyo Olympics, is the only American to make the All-NBA First Team, runner-up or third place in the past five seasons. Meanwhile, Embiid made four Division II teams in the NBA, while Joubert made three Division III teams in the NBA.
No Olympic team other than the United States has two All-NBA players on its roster.
OlympicTalk is enabled Apple news. We preferred!
