Joel Embiid: soon in the French team, the players for or against?

Joel Embiid, the Cameroonian pivot from Philadelphia, has taken steps to obtain French naturalization. He could be selectable with the Blues.

Seeing Joel Embiid with the Blues jersey at the 2024 Olympics can make you dream. The Cameroonian pivot of the Philadelphia Sixers has applied for French naturalization according to RMC Sports. General manager of the selection, Boris Diaw has already spoken about the Embiid case: “I know that he has personally started the naturalization process and that he would then like to be able to play for France. That being said, we are not putting the cart before the horse and we are waiting for these steps to succeed.”

The first contact between “Jojo” and the FFBB does not date from 2022. A first contact was made in 2016 but it was in 2018 when real discussions took place. Executives were not against his arrival like Nicolas Batum who had seen a racket with Rudy Gobert with a good eye. For his part, Evan Fournier, the Blues’ flagship player, was opposed to the idea: “For me, playing for a country you have no ties with is disturbing. The national team is not just a sporting challenge. It’s not against Joel. It bothers me when the other selections do it, so it’s valid for the Blues. Then respect for Rudy (Gobert), where is he ? And the others who make sacrifices every summer for the France team?

Joel Embiid has already contacted some French players to let them know of his intentions. If the native of Yaoundé comes to be called by Vincent Collet, it could mean an upheaval in the French team. Starting with the place of Vincent Poirier who was quick to react on his social networks.

Biography Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid, 27, was born on March 16, 1994 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Son of Christine and Thomas Embiid, a military officer, “JoJo” was far from becoming a professional basketball player. The one who lost one of his brothers at the age of 13, in a car accident in Cameroon, was rather destined to become a volleyball player. He began to play basketball, around 15 years old where he copied and reproduced the movements of a member of the NBA Hall of Fame, Hakeem Olajuwon. During a detection in Africa, he was spotted and then sent to the United States by Luc Mbah a Moute, NBA player. At the age of 16, he left for the other side of the world in the hope of becoming a professional basketball player and joining an NBA franchise.

The native of Yaoundé joined the Florida University of Gainesville where he shone during the 2013-2014 season. The following year, Joel Embiid was one of the first choices considered by the NBA franchises, but a recurring back injury forced him to stop his season and he saw his Draft rating lowered. On March 27, 2014, the Cameroonian announced his candidacy for the 2014 NBA Draft and a few months later, he was selected in third position by the Philadelphia 76ers. After a right foot injury, Joel Embiid was forced to undergo surgery, missing the 2014-2015 season. Known for his physical power, his shooting skill at mid-range, in the racket or at three points, Joel Embiid is above all a character who likes to chamber opponents and destabilize them.

An NBA title is the dream of all NBA players, including Joel Embiid. So far, the 76ers have never done better in the playoffs than a conference semi-final since the Cameroonian joined the squad. As for individual distinctions, “JoJo” has been selected five times in the All-Star Game (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022). This season (2021-2022), Joel Embiid is the favorite to win the MVP trophy with his performances where he averages 25.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. His performances are all the more important when you know that since the start of the season, the other star of the team, Ben Simmons, no longer wanted to play with the 76ers. Since February 10, 2022, the Australian has been transferred to the Brooklyn Nets, in exchange for an NBA superstar, James Harden.

Combining power and dribbling quality, Joel Embiid’s physique surprises where he revolutionizes the pivot position as Nikola Jokic can do with the Denver Nuggets. The number 21 of the 76ers who measures 2m13 can shoot from any part of the field, with a dribble or without, his offensive panoply is very wide and Joel Embiid is a permanent danger for the opposing defenses.