Hall of Famer Grant Hill, who is the managing director of Team USA, said there is “definitely” still a possibility that Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid plays for the Red, White and Blue.
“Joel Embiid is an incredible talent and he has options,” Hill said during an interview with NBA insider Marc Stein And I guess that’s a good thing.
I’ll just say this: I’ve had some discussions with him, and he knows our desire to have him a part of our program. So we’ll see sort of where that goes.”
Embiid holds citizenship in the United States and France, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported both countries have “quietly made pitches to try to secure him for the Olympics.”
That both countries are so interested comes as anything but a surprise given his stature as one of the league’s best players. He won the MVP last season while averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the field.
Choosing France would give him the chance to play for the host country, although selecting the United States would mean suiting up for the team that has won four straight gold medals.
The Americans defeated France by just five points in the gold medal game of the 2020 Games, underscoring how important Embiid’s decision between the two teams could be ahead of 2024.