Why is Joel Embiid representing Team USA at the Olympics?

They say it is an honor to represent Team USA in the Olympics, and Joel Embiid is doing that.

Embiid will be one of many to represent the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It would mark the first time he will participate in Olympic competition He chose to play with Team USA last year over Cameroon, where he was born, and France, where he has citizenship, and his reason for doing so is sentimental.

"I’m proud and excited about this decision. It was not easy. I am blessed to call Cameroon, France, and the USA home. After talking to my family, I knew it had to be Team USA. I want to play with my brothers in the league. I want to play for my fans because they’ve been incredible since I came here. But most of all, I want to honor my son who was born in the U.S. I want my boy to know I played my first Olympics for him," the superstar center posted back in October to X.

Embiid, born in Yaounde, Cameroon, became a U.S. citizen in September 2022.

"I've been here for a long time," Embiid said of gaining American citizenship in 2022. "My son is American. I felt like I was living here, and it was a blessing to be an American. So I said, why not?"

He moved to the U.S. at 16 and attended high school in Florida before committing to the Kansas Jayhawks. He's since won an MVP and become one of the biggest stars in the NBA, playing for the 76ers. Although he ended up on Team USA, Embiid did flirt with the idea of playing for France and went so far as gaining citizenship.

As noble as his decision to play with Team USA was, Embiid has received some backlash.

Spurs legend and general manager for the French national team, Boris Diaw told The Athletic Embiid approached France first about playing with them first.

“When the government asked us, ‘Would it be good to have this guy? Can he bring something for France? Can he bring something for the country? Would it be good for the country?’ We said yes,” Boris Diaw said about Embiid's naturalization process. “That’s how he got it.”

Furthermore, Frédéric Weis, said he would remove Embiids French nationality and ban him from entering France.

The Cameroon Basketball Federation were reportedly disappointed by his decision also.

No one could blame both nations for wanting the former MVP on their national team. Embiid is coming off another dominant season where he averaged 27.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.