Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid hasn’t made a decision on whether he will play for France or Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup (2023) and Olympic Games (2024).
Embiid, who obtained the French citizenship last summer, said his focus is on leading the Sixers in the NBA Finals, hence a decision will be made after the end of the playoffs.
“I’ve been asked this question a lot before. Here I am focused on the NBA season because we have a good opportunity to be champion with the Sixers. I want my head to be 100% here,” Joel Embiid said in an interview with L’Equipe.
“A World Cup title this summer or Olympic gold next year would be really good. But I don’t know what will happen by then because if I win in the NBA, I can be very tired.
So, it will depend on my body too. I’m only focused on the NBA. We will make the decision after the end of the season,” the superstar big man added.
Courtisé par l'équipe de France et les États-Unis, le pivot d'origine camerounaise Joel Embiid a annoncé que le choix de sa sélection serait fait à l'issue de la saison.
Lire son interview : https://t.co/N8shXT8Rlw pic.twitter.com/ughrJgjc6l
— L'ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) January 26, 2023
Joel Embiid is averaging 33.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 35 games this season, as the Sixers are second in the East with a 31-16 record and have won their last six games.
The 2023 Basketball World Cup will take place in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines on August 25 – September 10.
