Joel Embiid considers 'national allegiance switch' after Olympics 'taunts'

NBA giant Joel Embiid has hinted he might switch national allegiances by the 2028 Olympics in LA . The towering center of Philadelphia 76ers fame, originally hailing from Cameroon and possessing dual citizenship with France and the United States, stirred up a storm when he opted to represent Team USA.

French supporters have not shied away from expressing their displeasure, jeering Embiid at every opportunity during the Paris Olympics from the moment he handles the ball to scoring points. Nonetheless, Embiid's prowess has been instrumental in propelling the US squad into the final showdown against Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, and the formidable French team.

Despite playing for gold against one of his national ties, the standout player contemplates representing Cameroon if he decides on a different path come the 2028 Games . "It's been a good experience," Embiid shared with the San Francisco Chronicle.

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"It's been a grind, being away from and family for a few weeks. 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," reports the Mirror US .

Embiid has made it clear that his choice to represent a country other than the United States in 2028 is entirely up to him, regardless of how fans may perceive it. He chose to play for the US over France due to political tensions between Cameroon and France.

"I kind of felt rushed in that decision because I wanted to take as much time as possible," Embiid told the New York Times. "It didn't help that France put an ultimatum on when the decision had to be made. I saw it on Twitter, and I was like, 'Woah, where did it come from?

"From the conversations that I had with the US, it was just, 'Take as much time as you need, there's no rush. We'd love to have you but it's ok if you make another decision.' When you have someone else putting pressure on you, it may seem like, 'Oh, you have to make a decision."

Embiid also expressed his ultimate dream to play for Cameroon if they qualify for the Summer Games. "If they qualify, I'm playing for my home country because that's my dream - to play in the Olympics," he said.

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He even discussed his concerns with French President Emmanuel Macron. "I had the opportunity to talk with the French President [Emmanuel Macron] about what was going on. I told him - one thing that was kind of bothering me a lot was the relationship between France and Cameroon, and African countries in general.

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"That was my mindset because I knew it would be hard. With my family being in Cameroon, I don't want to put them through any of that stuff. I want them to be safe, and the relationship between France and Cameroon or Africa in general is just not good."

As the United States prepares to face France for the gold medal, Embiid stated he's unfazed by potential backlash for turning down France. "They boo me, I'm going to go back at them and tell them to suck it," he declared.

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