Rasheed Wallace suggests Joel Embiid focus on the Sixers, not Team USA: "This NBA title is more important than getting that gold medal"

Joel Embiid 's participation in the U.S. men's basketball team at the Paris Olympics has drawn criticism from many sides. Many believe that JoJo should have spent the summer resting and getting ready for the 2024-25 NBA season for the Philadelphia 76ers .

He underwent knee surgery last February and still does not look 100% in the exhibition games he's played so far for Team USA . 2004 NBA champion Rasheed Wallace was the latest to call out Joel, advising him to sit out the Paris games for the sake of the Sixers.

"This is the Olympics…No, sit down, dog," said Wallace on the Sheed and Tyler Show . "Like you just got all this bread, bro. No disrespect to the Olympics and Olympic Games, all that, but hey man, to me in this world, hey, this NBA title is more important than, you know, getting that gold medal. Yo, go ahead and rest up."

Embiid's injury woes disrupted last season

The former Kansas Jayhawk played like he was headed to a second consecutive NBA MVP award last season when injuries prevented him from being eligible to win the award. Last January, he suffered a knee injury that required surgery on the lateral meniscus of his left knee and missed 8 weeks.

Although he came back to have a good postseason run, the Sixers struggled without him and dropped to the sixth seed. Without homecourt advantage, the Sixers lost the first two games of their first-round series against the Knicks and were eliminated 2-4. With Embiid unable to lead the Sixers past the second round in seven playoff appearances, Sheed says he must get 100% healthy heading into next season.

"If I were the Sixers, oh man, I definitely would have protested that with him," added Sheed. "You are our main catalyst. I could see it if you were our backup center, or if you were a backup guard, or even a starting guard where we got, let's say, bringing a Tyrese Maxey off the bench or something like that. Oh yeah, go ahead, but we ain't got nobody to back you up, bro. You are the team, you are it. When people think of the Philadelphia 76ers, we think of Joel Embiid. Well, we think of Allen Iverson first, but then Joel Embiid. Man, no, sit down. He doesn't look healthy."

Related: Phil Jackson’s reveals why he never coached Team USA: “I have a style of coaching that’s probably not applicable”

The Sixers are one of the early title favorites

The upcoming NBA season is crucial for the Philly franchise. After acquiring former L.A. Clippers star Paul George in free agency, they moved up in the early betting boards in Las Vegas. Currently, the 76ers have the third-best odds to win the 2025 NBA championship, with only the Boston Celtics and OKC Thunder having better odds than them.

The Sixers had not made the NBA Finals since 2001, when Allen Iverson led them to the championship round against the Mighty Lakers. Philadelphia had not tasted a championship parade since 1983 when Julius Erving and Moses Malone were their stars.

There's no question that the Sixers have put themselves in an excellent position to become title contenders for the upcoming NBA season. But even with George, they can't go far without a healthy Joel.

While playing for the Olympics keeps him in game shape, it can be a double-edged sword, given his injury history. If the Sixers were prudent, they would've let Embiid do a Kawhi and focus on winning the chip instead of the gold.

Related: Joel Embiid believes he would've been in the GOAT conversation if he stayed healthy: "I think I'm that talented"