Joel Embiid gets booed whenever he receives the ball, but he says he's seen as worse by the 76ers fans. He named Boston's TD Garden and Madison Square Garden as two worse environments for him than Lille.
After getting benched in the game against South Sudan, Joel Embiid came back on the court against Puerto Rico. However, the story remained the same, at least with the local fans.
Whenever Embiid received the ball or attempted a shot, he got booed heavily by the crowd in Lille. The former NBA MVP received the same reaction during the first group-stage game against Serbia as well.
Asked about the reception in France, Embiid brushed it off.
"I've always loved it. At the end of the day, I think a lot of people think it's hate. I see it as love and respect. If I wasn't an OK basketball player, I would not receive that type of treatment," Embiid said after the game.
"I see myself as being blessed and that's why I interact with them, why I interact with that type of crowd, that type of stuff. I'm blessed to be here. I've seen worse. I've played in worse environments. Both Gardens. It's nothing that I haven't seen before," he said, naming Boston's TD Garden and the Madison Square Garden in New York.
Embiid is receiving harsh treatment from the local French crowd due to his history with the country and his previous actions regarding his play in the national team. Namely, Embiid had promised French President Emanuel Macron he would represent France internationally, but he chose Team USA instead.
However, the Philadelphia 76ers superstar said he has seen worse treatment.
"In Philly, they boo their own guys more than the opponents. Sometimes, it feels like our fans are more against us when they're supposed to be against the opponents," he said. "Like I said, it's all love because they want to push you, they want you to do better. Just like with this crowd. I enjoy it because it makes me want to be better and do more, and do whatever it takes to win."
Team USA's head coach, Steve Kerr, was lighthearted about it as well.
"I think that all you can do is laugh about it, and, you know, he's done a good job just making light of it and his teammates obviously have his back," the specialist said after the game.
"I'm sure he knew this was coming," Kerr continued. "And what I like is that after the French fans would boo, you could hear the American fans cheer, and so everybody seems to be having some fun with it."
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