*Update: Embiid commits to Team USA* (France gives Embiid til Oct 10th to commit)

[azcatz11]

Ignoring the opportunity to get an Olympic Gold Medal (which is a huge thing to ignore as an athlete), maybe, just maybe, Joel is grateful for the generational wealth and opportunity that the USA has provided him and his family. It's easy to take it for granted as a lifelong American.

I doubt it. He wants a cheap gold to strengthen his legacy. I will be boycotting the next Olympics over this personally.

[eyeatoma]

So on brand for the GB to have an issue with this. He's lived here since 16. He met his wife here, he played in highschool here, he's a citizen.

Read on Twitter

?t=3KGpPfz68FiXH8SqD5Qjxg&s=19

Never change GB.

[eyeatoma]

I think the issue in the commenta I read is that americans seem to have a different relationship with being a citizen of a country than for instance europeans might have.
To me *your* country is where you grew up and/or where you're parents are from. That means you have a native knoweldge of the language and you've always been immersed into its culture. You might have mutiple passports, but that's not an acquired taste, not where you belong to.
Here it seems that deciding what country to represent is just a business decision, and in my view it completely ruins the whole point of having this kind of competitions.

Then the Olympic committee should ban it. Seems like you should have a bigger issue with them.

[eyeatoma]

So USA starting 5:

Embiid
Durant
Tatum
Brown? Butler?
Curry

i think this is why people are pissed, we’ll have another one-sided boring Olympics. LOL

He should have chosen France, for basketball parity reasons.

There is no parity when the USA is assembling a super team. Why is Embiid going to be stupid and join a team where their best player is a center?

[eyeatoma]

Do you guys trash Hakeem/Ewing for not playing for their birth countries?

They just hate Embiid, the GB loves to trash him.

[Dirk]

So on brand for the GB to have an issue with this. He's lived here since 16. He meet his wife here, he played in highschool here, he's a citizen.

Read on Twitter

?t=3KGpPfz68FiXH8SqD5Qjxg&s=19

Never change GB.

What's there to change?

Per wikipedia, he was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He was was discovered at a basketball camp by Luc Mbah a Moute, a fellow native of Yaoundé and an NBA player. With Mbah a Moute as his mentor, Embiid moved to the United States at age 16 to devote himself to becoming a professional basketball player.

He now elects to play for the USA... simply because it's an easy way to win a gold medal. That's all.

And yes, "the GB" will not respect said medal because it's a very very weak move. I guess some Sixers fans already feel he is a weak leader though, so this is on par.

[Mickey8]

Embiid is an insurance that team USA will fail again, just watch and see and yes I dislike Embiid but I am saying the truth.

[HanzGruber]

So on brand for the GB to have an issue with this. He's lived here since 16. He meet his wife here, he played in highschool here, he's a citizen.

Read on Twitter

?t=3KGpPfz68FiXH8SqD5Qjxg&s=19

Never change GB.

most of us recognize this is the easiest route to take, its more respectable to play for the country you were born and raised in vs a stacked team thats gonna have guys like lebron and curry on it

everyone would **** on luka if he wanted to play for usa in 2028

[eyeatoma]

So on brand for the GB to have an issue with this. He's lived here since 16. He meet his wife here, he played in highschool here, he's a citizen.

Read on Twitter

?t=3KGpPfz68FiXH8SqD5Qjxg&s=19

Never change GB.

What's there to change?

Per wikipedia, he was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He was was discovered at a basketball camp by Luc Mbah a Moute, a fellow native of Yaoundé and an NBA player. With Mbah a Moute as his mentor, Embiid moved to the United States at age 16 to devote himself to becoming a professional basketball player.

He now elects to play for the USA... simply because it's an easy way to win a gold medal. That's all.

And yes, "the GB" will not respect said medal because it's a very very weak move. I guess some Sixers fans already feel he is a weak leader though, so this is on par.

Is Embiid not joining going to make the US lose?

The Olympic committee could have made a decision not to let NBA stars join any of the teams if you want actual parity. Most players in Embiid's position would choose this.

[eyeatoma]

Also this is very on brand for the new NBA, i could see this being a bigger issue. But since the start of the heatles the stars like to award themselves championships.

Do people still hate on Lebron for that?

Sure, still considered 2nd best of all time at the very least.

[eyeatoma]

So on brand for the GB to have an issue with this. He's lived here since 16. He meet his wife here, he played in highschool here, he's a citizen.

Read on Twitter

?t=3KGpPfz68FiXH8SqD5Qjxg&s=19

Never change GB.

most of us recognize this is the easiest route to take, its more respectable to play for the country you were born and raised in vs a stacked team thats gonna have guys like lebron and curry on it

everyone would **** on luka if he wanted to play for usa in 2028

Luka played professional ball in Europe, didn't play in the US in highschool.

Luka is not a citizen.

I'm Indian but my kids are American. I'll always have a connection to America.

You guys know that Embiid's brother died in Cameroon right? Also no guarantee that Cameroon will qualify and France is forcing his decision so he'll obviously not choose them as he is being rushed by them.

He has the least connection to France of all the countries.

[Jasen777]

Every country is allowed one naturalized player per FIBA rules. Embiid's an American. This is as legit as it gets, it's not Tobey to Slovenia or Brown to Spain.

[ForeverTFC]

Very on brand. If/when the US medals, we can notch it as another accolade for Embiid with an asterisk.

[minnytola1960]

Something tells me that if Embiid had chosen France, people would be a lot less upset about his decision despite that fact that he has far fewer ties to that country than he does the US. No one gives crap to US-born players choosing to play for other countries that have much weaker national teams.

That said, I do agree that FIBA, FIFA, Olympics etc. are too liberal when it comes to allowing players to choose which country they want to represent. I remember thinking how impressive it was that the Filipino Women's Soccer team made some noise at the World Cup. Then feeling disappointed when I found out their roster was basically just composed of American soccer players with some Filipino blood.

[picc]

Also wish he hadnt joined, for multiple reasons. Oh well. Still be a fun olympics and its his right.

[Inklink]

Next up, mid season tournament MVP

[Jabroni Lames]

This guarantees Team USA will be a second round exit. Easy money bet.

[NotaHypeJob]

Europeans are very mad, why is that?
It is not Team USAs fault that people fall in love with America

[Mickey8]

This is the more of an embarrassment for the USA basketball. That they have to steal the international talent , because they can't produce a quality front court players. The situation with Hakeem was different, at that time in 1996 USA had a good enough front court, the USA team didn't need him badly. They had Shaq,Robinson,Malone, Ewing, Morning. The USA basketball federation did this out of necessity, which is the bigger problem for them. Its obvious that USA have some struggle in the development of their big players.

[reanimator]

Embiid is a product of the American basketball system. Glad he chose right.

Now to read this thread full of anger from the people who obsess over the downfall of American basketball