Joel Embiid, the center of the Philadelphia 76ers, has explained his decision to play for the USA national team in the upcoming Olympic Games.
The current NBA league MVP had three options when it came to representing a national team. The first was his native Cameroon, the second was France, and he chose the USA, where he will play alongside other superstars in the Olympics next year. The towering center elaborated on his decision.
“It was a tough choice, obviously. I love all three options. I love my home country, of course, but I just wanted to play in the Olympics. That’s my goal and dream. You also have to factor in that my son is American, and I’ve been here for a long time, and every decision I make is based around my family,” emphasized Embiid.
The center, born in Cameroon, spoke about the possibility of playing with other NBA superstars but remained “down-to-earth” about it.
“You want to play with top players, but I haven’t really thought about it at all. That’s great. I think it’s a huge commitment, especially after a long NBA season. So, when we have players committing like this, I think it’s great,” concluded the MVP.
The Olympic Games are scheduled from July 26th to August 11th next year. They will be held in the capital of France, and it will be the first time Paris has hosted the games since 1924.