Can Joel Embiid play for the French team? Exploring the possibility for the 2023 NBA MVP
Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid is yet to see action in the international scene. With the 2023 FIBA World Cup is being held, many are asking what country the Sixers center plays for and if France has a chance of suiting him up.
According to the official Olympics website, the naturalization of Embiid has already begun. French national team general manager Boris Diaw targets the six-time NBA All-Star to wear the colors of France in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"I know he has personally started the naturalization process and that he would like to play for France. That being said, we are not putting the cart before the horse and we are waiting for these procedures to be completed."
If this happens, the French basketball team will be boasting one of the tallest frontcourts in international basketball with Joel Embiid teaming up with Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama.
France will also look to boost their team's chances and assemble the best talent possible especially if they are playing in front of their home crowd. Besides Gobert and Wembanyama, the team also has a deep pool of NBA players such as Evan Fournier and veteran Nicolas Batum.
Other young French NBA players that may be considered on the roster are Malcom Cazalon and Killian Hayes of the Detroit Pistons, OKC Thunder's Ousmane Dieng, Sidy Cissoko of San Antonio Spurs and Bilal Coulibaly who was recently drafted by the Washington Wizards.
Joel Embiid never played for Cameroon
With the ongoing naturalization process for Joel Embiid, some would ask why a Cameroonian athlete is about to play for the French basketball team.
According to the FIBA regulations, every country is allowed one naturalized player. That means, no matter where the basketball player was born, he can play for them as long as he goes through the naturalization process set by the team's local government.
Embiid is also qualified to play for the French team soon as he never really suited up for Cameroon.
Having not suited up for France at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, French coach Vincent Collet stressed that it doesn't mean Embiid will not play for the Olympics. Collet said through Basketnews.com's report:
"That does not mean he won't play with us next year. He is getting married this summer, and it really falls into the wrong period, during the preparation of all the teams"
In the 2022-23 NBA season, Joel Embiid was named season MVP after averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steals per game.