A lingering knee injury has prevented Philadelphia 76ers’ star center Joel Embiid from being at their best during the 2023-24 NBA season. However, Embiid believes the issue won’t stop him from being part of Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Embiid was limited to only 39 games during the regular season and was also hampered by knee issues in the playoffs. But during the NBA Finals pre-game show appearance earlier this week, Embiid expressed confidence that he’ll manage to recover in time to play at the Olympics.
“I’m doing great. Just getting ready for the Olympics,” Embiid said. “It’s going to be big for me because I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a kid.”
Embiid was eligible to represent Cameroon as his country of birth, as well as France and the United States on an international level. He said that he ended up opting for Team USA because of his family.
“My family, my son, and having the chance to represent a country like the U.S., with my son being born here. … I love my home country, but I really wanted to play in the Olympics,” he explained his decision.
Team USA has several other injury concerns at the moment. Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard is dealing with a knee inflammation that caused him to miss much of the playoffs. His status for the Olympics remains in the air. Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, on the other hand, has experienced hamstring issues, although the expectation is that he’ll manage to recover in time for Team USA’s training camp in early July.
