"I mess with him saying, you know, you and Rudy are gonna be teammates" - Tyrese Maxey wants Joel Embiid to play for Team USA rather than France
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is eligible to play for Team USA and France in the upcoming FIBA World Cup and Paris Olympics. Embiid's teammate, Tyrese Maxey, wants him to play for the United States.
In an interview with Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Maxey discussed the possibility of representing Team USA in the future. Maxey also revealed that he wants to team up with Embiid internationally. He even teased his Sixers teammate that if he chooses to represent France, he'll be teaming up with Rudy Gobert.
"I kind of mess with him and tell him now he's like, French," Maxey said. "I mess with him saying, you know, you and Rudy are gonna be teammates. Sometimes we have to wonder what's going on with Joe, what's going on in Joel’s head. I guess we'll see."
Joel Embiid was born and raised in Yaoundé, Cameroon, before moving to the United States when he was 16 to pursue basketball. Embiid became an American citizen earlier this month, making him eligible to represent Team USA in international competitions.
Embiid also obtained French citizenship in July after going through the nation's naturalization process. France have been actively recruiting Embiid to join their national team.
France are coming off a second-place finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as well as EuroBasket 2022. They boast a handful of NBA stars such as Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum. They also have Victor Wembanyama, who is the consensus No. 1 pick for next year's draft.
According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Team USA is showing interest in Joel Embiid. Formal recruitment is yet to start, but they will have to act quickly because the 2023 FIBA World Cup is less than a year away. If Embiid plays for France next year, he won't be eligible to play for Team USA anymore.
Does Rudy Gobert want to team up with Joel Embiid?
Rudy Gobert is currently the best player for the French national team. Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. He has led France to two silver medals at the Olympics and EuroBasket. But will he want to team up with Joel Embiid in the future?
In an interview with Basket News, Gobert had nothing but praise for the Philadelphia 76ers superstar. He called Embiid a "unique" player, while also calling the French national team a tight-knit group.
"He's an incredible player," Gobert said. "There are lots of things to think about. Joel is a unique player, and we have a team that is already well-knit. A group that lives well together. You have to see how it might work for the group."
France put up a great fight against Team USA in the gold medal game at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They only lost by five points, 87-82. If a player like Embiid joins France, they could pose problems against the Americans. Team USA is in a transition period from coaching to their players.