Cameroon-born and bred basketball superstar Joel Embiid set to play for France after securing passport
Cameroon-born basketball superstar Joel Embiid has reportedly secured a French passport according to L’Equipe.
The Philadelphia 76ers centre had reportedly been processing a switch from Cameroon to France in international basketball for the past 6 months.
The 28-year-old is now open to selection for France ahead of the upcoming 2022 Euro Basket, the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Olympic games.
Joel Embiid the Cameroonian
Joel Embiid was born on March 16 1994 in Yaounde, the capital city of Cameroon where he spent his childhood playing sports.
ALSO READ
Embiid played volleyball, football and basketball in Cameroon until he was discovered as a 15-year-old at a basketball camp by Luc Mbah a Moute, a fellow Yaounde native who also played in the NBA.
Joel Embiid then moved to the United States to pursue his basketball career professionally where he has lived ever since.
What does he add to France?
Technically speaking, Joel Embiid is the second-best player in the world right now having finished second in NBA MVP voting last season.
He also led the league in scoring which shows the level of elite talent he possesses which could have helped Cameroonian basketball a great deal.
But France offers him a better chance at winning something internationally as they are currently ranked fourth in the world on the latest FIBA rankings compared to Cameroon which ranks 64th in the world.
Embiid will be the latest in a long line of NBA talents currently with the French national team, including Minnesota Timberwolves superstar centre, Rudy Gobert.