Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid definitely did not have a lot of fans when he decided to suit up for Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. That being said, the former Most Valuable Player's stint with the national team was still worth it in the end, especially because he forged a connection with LeBron James during the tourney, the culmination of which eventually came two years later, as both players are now on the same team.
Embiid admitted this fact in a recent exchange on Media Day, affirming that while people did not have fond memories of him in his Team USA stint, it was still a worthwhile experience simply because he got to bond with James, who arrived in Philly two years later after their shared experience in the Olympics. Now, the 76ers have reaped the rewards of his otherwise unremarkable stint therein.
76ers reap the biggest reward of Joel Embiid playing for Team USA
Embiid playing for the national team in the Paris Olympics definitely did not go as well as expected, at least from an on-court viewpoint. While he had his fair share of good moments, he did not play up to par in the tournament. Heck, he faced a hostile crowd in France after spurning the French national team and deciding to suit up for the United States, despite getting handed a French citizenship.
LeBron, however, was one of the biggest forces behind the USA's gold medal finish. Stephen Curry stole the show in Paris, but he was basically their team captain. He was the flag-bearer for the country, and he definitely was able to prove why he deserved that honor with his stellar play, especially during crunch time.
Before the 2024 Olympics, Embiid and James were not necessarily known as tight-knit buddies. As such, the connection they forged in Paris was surely one of the reasons why LeBron strongly considered and ultimately decided on Philly as his final landing spot to close out his legendary career. On Media Day, James spoke highly of Joel, even pointing to him as one of the primary reasons for wanting to play with the 76ers.
With off-court rapport now present for both superstars, the 76ers will definitely hope that their brewing chemistry will show itself on the court. It will be fascinating to see two dominant players coexist with their varying skill sets, and with James still being an elite playmaker and Embiid showing this past season that he is still an unstoppable scoring force, those two should make for a highly lethal duo that can carry the team to a ton of wins.
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