Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, the NBA’s reigning MVP, has committed to play for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Embiid informed Team USA executive director Grant Hill of his decision Thursday morning, sources said, just days after the two quietly met for close to an hour in Fort Collins, Colorado, where the Sixers are holding training camp.
Embiid said Thursday that he also was in contact with representatives from the French national team but ultimately decided on Team USA after meeting with Hill.
“I just wanted to make sure that I was making the right decision, and it just took me one last meeting with all parties involved and went ahead,” he said.
“It’s exciting for USA Basketball that Joel Embiid wants to represent the United States,” Hill said Thursday in a statement.”
“Joel and I have had several conversations about his goals and I’m looking forward to continuing that dialogue knowing that one of those goals is to represent USA Basketball next summer in Paris. As I’ve said before, I’m looking forward to the process of building the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team roster over the next several months.”
Embiid, who was born in Cameroon and holds both French and American citizenship, has been at the center of an intense recruiting battle over which country he will represent at the Olympics. He said Thursday that it was “tough” for him to choose one of the three countries to represent.