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[Saba Sports News] Joel Embiid was greeted with boos at the French Pierre Mauroy Stadium on Wednesday, a familiar experience for the superstar.
Anthony Edwards, however, is puzzled by the reaction, saying, “I don’t know why he gets booed all the time. You got Wemby and Rudy; why would he play with y’all? You want three 7-footers?”
France is hosting the Olympic games this year, and local fans are upset with Embiid for backing out of his commitment to play for Team France, despite obtaining French citizenship and a passport. Instead, he chose to join Team USA.
Edwards and Team USA are pleased to have Embiid, a 7x All-Star and 2x scoring champion, on their side.
Fans criticize Embiid for switching allegiances, especially since France already has top-tier bigs Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert. Playing for France would likely have seen Embiid in a backup role.
Embiid felt he had a better chance of winning gold with Team USA, which includes stars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant.
Although Embiid played limited minutes so far, Team USA is off to a strong start. The decision to bench him in recent games has fueled criticism, but Embiid is committed to Team USA and aims to make an impact in the tournament.