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[Saba Sports News] Joel Embiid didn’t receive the warmest welcome on Wednesday upon arriving in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Playing for Team USA, Embiid was also eligible to play for France, having gained French citizenship in 2022. However, he chose not to commit to France for the Paris Olympics, which caused some lingering resentment. As Embiid headed to the USA bus with his teammates, hecklers in the crowd could be heard telling him in French to “give back your passport” and that he made a mistake by not playing for France. The atmosphere remained light-hearted, with some chuckling from the crowd and Embiid himself laughing at the comments.
Embiid has cited personal reasons for his decision to play for Team USA. Meanwhile, France boasts a strong frontcourt with Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, and Embiid has had a slow start with Team USA.