Joel Embiid's potential participation in the 2024 Olympics for Team France was a topic of significant interest, as he sought to obtain a French passport to make this possible, facilitated by Jean-Pierre Siutat, President of the French Basketball Federation. However, despite initial plans for Embiid to start alongside Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama, creating a formidable lineup, Embiid ultimately decided to commit to Team USA for the 2024 Olympics. This decision was met with criticism from Siutat, who suggested that Embiid's choice was driven by the easier path to an Olympic medal with Team USA. The French team had envisioned a powerful starting trio that would have significantly impacted their Olympic prospects, with Wembanyama planned to start at small forward.
From @TheAthletic: Joel Embiid was interested in playing internationally for Team France. Despite having no residency nor any direct French heritage, he was able to get a passport. Then things fell apart. https://t.co/phZIJdEwQZ
The French Basketball Federation President thinks Joel Embiid is just chasing Olympic medals 🥇 (via @TheAthletic) https://t.co/ZlUhgKwT9s
If Joel Embiid had played for Team France, head coach Vincent Collet had planned to play Victor Wembanyama, Embiid and Rudy Gobert 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨. What happened? Why did the dream fall apart? @joevardon details ⤵️ https://t.co/gIoKYOXCux https://t.co/FDqeqtzaf7
France planned to play Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, and Victor Wembanyama together if Embiid picked them https://t.co/2ePoBgIarb
Before Joel Embiid committed to play for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics, France was planning on starting him, Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama together. 🤯 (via: @TheAthletic) https://t.co/Ipbni2MxBu
France had planned to start Victor Wembanyama at small forward alongside Joel Embiid and Rudy Gobert before Embiid joined Team USA, per @TheAthletic Imagine this frontline 🤯 (Via https://t.co/94q6lxbOID) https://t.co/c76I1CL5f4
President of the French Basketball Federation, Jean Pierre Siutat, talks about Joel Embiid flip-flopping on his France commitment and joining the USA “Team USA, with him, who can beat you? Come on, nobody. This is an easy way for him to get an Olympic medal.”😬 (Via… https://t.co/RUvcXo6jtX
Inside Joel Embiid’s Olympics decision and why Team France’s ‘dream’ is far from reality ⤵️ https://t.co/WYV5y7QSes https://t.co/zwNp5MfBnr
Joel Embiid was interested in playing internationally for Team France. To do so, he needed a French passport. So President of Les Bleus Jean-Pierre Siutat made sure he got one. And then things fell apart. A thread on Embiid’s Olympics decision 🧵 https://t.co/gIoKYOX4EZ