Joel Embiid led Team USA to the Paris 2024 Olympic final and hinted at representing Cameroon in the Los Angeles 2028 Games, saying, "The next one is LA. It might not be with Team USA, it might be with Cameroon."
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is closing in on a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics after leading Team USA to a nail-biting 95-91 victory over Serbia in the semifinals on Thursday.
The win sets up a final against host nation France, a team Embiid nearly played for before ultimately choosing to represent the U.S. in these Games. The gold medal game will take place on Saturday.
Embiid, who had the option to represent the USA, France, or his native Cameroon, decided to play for Team USA, a decision he has not regretted despite earlier expressing a promise to suit up for France.
However, the 2023 NBA MVP has hinted that these might be his only Olympics with the star-studded U.S. squad, as he's considering representing Cameroon at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
"It's been a good experience [in Paris]. It's been a grind, being away from home and family for a few weeks," Embiid shared via Ron Kroichick. "But the group of guys we have made it easy.
"Paris is a great city, and the next one is LA. It might not be with Team USA, it might be with Cameroon," he added.
Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, initially cited family reasons and the certainty of playing in the Paris Olympics as key factors in his decision to represent the USA.
Recently, however, he revealed that political concerns played a role in his decision to decline France. Specifically, he referenced the French influence in Cameroon and surrounding countries as a factor in his choice.
In an interview with the New York Times, Embiid also stated:
"But one thing that was always known was that Cameroon was the first choice. If they qualify, I'm playing for my home country because that's my dream -- to play in the Olympics," Embiid stressed.
Should Embiid choose to play for Cameroon, he would need FIBA's approval, and USA Basketball would have to agree not to block the move.
According to Article 3-22 of the FIBA Internal Regulations, a player may switch national teams if it is "in the interest of the development of basketball" in the new country.
Specific criteria must be met, including:
- Have a valid passport from the new country.
- Not have represented any national team at the senior level in an official FIBA competition (e.g., FIBA Basketball World Cup or Olympic Games) for a minimum of three years since their last appearance with the previous national team.
- Obtain approval from FIBA and the national basketball federation of the new country.
In this case, Embiid would need to sit out for the 2027 FIBA World Cup to be eligible for Cameroon.
A similar situation arose with Klay Thompson, who explored the possibility of switching from Team USA to the Bahamas before the Paris Games. However, Team Bahamas did not qualify for the Olympics, losing to Spain in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament final.
Throughout the Olympics, Embiid has averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists over four games, including a standout 19-point performance in the semis against Serbia, where he scored seven clutch points in the fourth quarter.
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