Joel Embiid faced hostility in France. Team USA, full of adored NBA stars, was mostly well-received by the French crowd. However, the same love wasn’t present for Embiid, who played his first minutes under endless heckling from the Lille crowd. Instead of trying to repair his reputation, the 76ers center from Cameroon might have given another reason for both the French and Serbian crowds to despise him.

During a physical possession, attention first went to LeBron James, who put a Serbian player on the ground. However, his actions were deemed legal by the officials. Subsequently, Joel Embiid tugged a player driving towards the hoop, causing Serbia’s number 30 to drop hard to the floor on Embiid’s contact.

Upon reviewing the foul, officials deemed the contact unnecessary and excessive, resulting in an unsportsmanlike foul on the 2023 MVP. As many might have guessed, the French crowd let him hear about it.

It came at the worst time for Joel Embiid. After being named to the starting lineup, his first stint lasted less than three minutes. During that time, the star center accumulated no points and committed a turnover. Since then, he has managed to settle into his offense but remains reckless as a passer.

Joel Embiid has been struggling since Las Vegas

When Embiid declared his intention to play for Team USA, it caused a seismic shift in the basketball landscape. The team, already considered the best, had just added the most dominant scorer in the NBA over the past two seasons. Unfortunately, he’s been unable to replicate his NBA exploits on the international stage.

Through five exhibition games, he averaged only 10.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, despite starting every contest. The seven-time All-Star center found his momentum in the last two games, with his most prolific showing against Germany, where he added 15 points, 8 rebounds, and five assists.

The late bloom is something Joel Embiid expected, noting that it always takes him a few games to truly get into his element. “People who watch me know that every season know that it takes me a couple of games to get going and this is no different. That’s the reason we’ve got preseason games. I feel like myself and I’m going to keep going and I’m going to be playing at that MVP level I’ve played for the last five or six seasons,” he said.

Team USA will certainly hope that’s true after his suboptimal night against Serbia. Do you think Embiid will prove Steve Kerr right in starting him over the likes of Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo? Share your thoughts in the comments below.