Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was the target of jeers from French fans during the opening Group C match between the United States (US) and Serbia at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Monday (29/7) WIB.
Embiid was booed every time he did something on the court, from his pre-game introductions, coming off the bench, to every time he touched the ball.
The Cameroonian basketball player chose to play for the US national team instead of France, a decision that was not accepted by the home fans.
Quoting ESPN, Embiid obtained French citizenship in 2022 despite never having lived in the country.
French fans are hoping the 2023 NBA MVP will join fellow NBA stars Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert to represent France at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Embiid’s decision to play for the US has left French fans disappointed and angry.
Also read: Alexandre Lacazette Praises the Performance of the United States National Team
Embiid had the option to play for Cameroon, but the country failed to qualify in the preliminary round. That prompted him to choose to play for the U.S. national team, especially since he will be granted a U.S. passport in 2022.
Embiid has stated that he wants to play for the US because his son was born in the country, but he has never specifically stated why he chose the US over France.
Embiid had four points, one block and two rebounds in 11 minutes and 12 seconds of play to help the US to a 110-84 win over Serbia. (Ant/Z-1)
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