Given the fact that Joel Embiid just became a U.S. citizen in 2022 and will be making his U.S. national team debut at the Paris Olympics, it seems a bit odd that he would 1) criticize the team’s chances of winning and 2) suggest that the team’s best players are past their prime. But that’s exactly what it appears to be.
Joel Embiid’s comments are a bit odd
As always, context is key. The U.S. team enters this summer’s Paris Olympics holding the record for most gold medals in men’s basketball with 16. In that sense, it’s fair to say the U.S. team is an Olympic giant. Of course, that’s not surprising considering this team is generally made up of some of the best players in the NBA.
But if you listen to Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, a fifth consecutive title seems unlikely this time around. Even more surprising is that Embiid based his opinion on NBA superstars. LeBron James, Now 39, he, like several other players, claims he is not the same player he once was.
“The U.S. has talent, but other teams have equal talent. You also have to understand that most of the talent on the U.S. team is older.” Embiid told The New York Times. “LeBron today is not the same LeBron he was a few years ago. So it’s a big difference. Everyone will tell you, and I’m sure you can tell yourself, that the athletic LeBron that was so dominant a few years ago is not the same person he is now. I think people are fooled by the names on the paperwork, but those names have been built over their careers and they’re older now. They’re not what they used to be.”
Now, from a factual standpoint, it has to be said that Embiid’s comments were not entirely inaccurate. yesThat means James and his generation of U.S. national team players just aren’t as fast or agile as they were a decade ago. While that’s certainly true of any athlete, his opinion raises some eyebrows given not only the dominance of Team USA’s three pre-Olympic games, but also Embiid’s struggles as a starter alongside James in those games. In fact, the head coach Steve Kerr was forced to answer the question He received criticism from the media for his performance as a big man. But four of the team’s five starters are in their 30s, including Embiid himself, and as for James specifically, this will be the Lakers icon’s fourth Olympic appearance and one he previously said would be his last. Team USA will play their opening match against Serbia in Paris on Sunday, July 28. Don’t miss it!
