Right before the awaited match-up between Team USA and Team South Sudan started earlier, Joel Embiid decided to greet everyone in the crowd. An innocent act was soon marred by a loud roar of “boos” in reciprocation! Yes, France is still not happy with Embiid. No matter what he does, France feels he is the “Brutus” in the situation.

He obviously knew what was coming for him. It’s not like it was a surprise for him. After all, not choosing to represent France and choosing the USA is a big deal for the French people. But this time around, he wasn’t alone. Steph Curry was there in support, along with others on the Team USA roster.

Team USA displayed a wonderful united front today, making anyone proud of the team and the nation. As Embiid got a rather hostile reception, everyone including Steph Curry joined him snarkily “requesting” the crowd for more noise. It was a direct message to all the 27,000 people in the audience, revolting against Embiid and Team USA.

Embiid applied for French citizenship in 2021 and was granted a passport in 2022, given he’d play for Le Blues in the Olympics. But that soon changed as Embiid declared his decision to play for Team USA in 2023.

“I hate him for the things that he did. I think he doesn’t have any respect for France and also for all the people who are asking for a French passport and don’t get it. And under the pretext that he is a great athlete, he got it. I find it scandalous, I find it embarrassing. I don’t care about his excuses, ’cause they are his words, and his words mean nothing,” Frederic Weis said in an interview after Embiid’s decision.

That “hate” seems to be a common emotion shared by the French citizens towards the former NBA MVP, but Embiid does not make much out of it.

Joel Embiid says boos from French crowd are “Nothing”

Joel Embiid has been a constant feature in Steve Kerr’s system throughout the exhibition games leading up to the Paris Olympics. Despite mass criticism of his performances, Embiid started the opening game against Serbia and the boos rained down on him. Before the South Sudan game, Embiid opened up about his feeling of getting that negative reaction from the crowd and said, “[Reaction is] nothing. Like I’ve said, I’m an American. I play for Team USA.”

Even in a recent interview with David Marchese, Embiid fired back at the French basketball federation. “I kind of felt rushed in that decision. I wanted to take as much time as possible, and it didn’t help that France had put an ultimatum on when the decision had to be made,” Embiid said in the NY Times interview.

But finally, the guillotine came upon him in France as Steve Kerr chose to bench the center. As of the time of writing, Embiid is yet to come off the bench to play a single second of the game and as things are going, Team USA might not need him after all.

And to absorb more interesting stories, watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where the prodigy puts Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr under the pump with loaded NBA questions and more in this video below.