Jean-Pierre Siutat, the president of the French Basketball Federation, spoke about the case of Joel Embiid, who, according to him, wanted to play for the ‘Blues’.
The longtime head of French basketball emphasizes that Joel Embiid wanted to become a citizen of France and that the paperwork was settled.
“He said, ‘Yes, I want to play, bring me the passport!’ I did that job, with the help of the French Government, to arrange the papers for him and his son. All this time he said he wanted to play for the national team,” Jean-Pierre Siutat began the conversation for ‘The Athletic‘.
He then reflected on further discussions, where the native Cameroonian said he was still with them, but everything changed. Embiid became an American and if he stays healthy, he will play for the most powerful basketball team in the world at the upcoming Olympic Games.
“We asked him if he was still with us. He said, ‘Yes, I want to play for France.’ But, he didn’t do it. Who can beat the USA team with him? No one! That’s an easier path for him to Olympic gold!