Joel Embiid has embraced the role of villain at the Summer Olympics in Paris, and he is looking forward to doing so again in the gold medal game of the men’s basketball tournament.
Team USA narrowly avoided what would have been a historic upset on Thursday to defeat Serbia and advance to the gold medal game, where they will face host nation France on Saturday. And when the fans in Paris inevitably rain boos on Embiid, the two-time NBA MVP says he will have a simple two-word message for them.
“I know myself. I know I’m gonna interact, myself, and I’m gonna enjoy it,” Embiid told reporters on Thursday. “They’re gonna boo me. I’m gonna go back at them and tell them to suck it, and so it’s gonna be fun.”
“Team USA against France.. They’re going to boo me.. I’m gonna go back at them and tell them to suck it.”
– Joel Embiid ( @Eagles555Sixers) pic.twitter.com/167J8fifHc
— CBain (@cbain100) August 9, 2024
After the final buzzer sounded in Team USA’s 95-91 win over Serbia, Embiid had some fun with the fans in France and taunted them with his favorite “suck it” gesture (video here). We can expect to see more of the same on Saturday in the final.
Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, was granted French citizenship in 2022. He is also a citizen of the United States, and he chose to play for Team USA in this year’s Olympics. Embiid’s decision has created a great deal of tension between him and French fans, but it has also given us one of the best storylines of the Olympics. The Philadelphia 76ers star seems to be enjoying every second of it.
