“I don’t want to play for any other national team”: Embiid’s promise to Macron before finally choosing the United States

Jöel Embiid will play well for the United States. EPA – ERIK S. LESSER

In 2021, basketball player Joël Embiid wrote a letter to the President of the Republic in order to obtain French nationality by promising to play for France during the 2024 Paris Olympics…hellip; Before changing your mind and choosing the United States.

The soap opera between France and Joël Embiid has not finished generating ink. On Wednesday, the American basketball team formalized the selection of the pivot of the Philadelphia 76ers to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the USA team.

However, Embiid had promised to play for the French team this summer, during a letter written to the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron in 2021 in order to request French nationality, as reveal it to our colleagues at RMC Sport.

From family in France

In this letter, the man who subsequently obtained French nationality in 2022 then American nationality two months later, speaks of his attachment to France and the presence of several members of his family in France, which he visits regularly.

Before making the promise to wear the blue jersey in 2024: "My choice is now made. I would like to take the steps to obtain French naturalization and thus be eligible for selection with the Blues. I therefore do not wish to play for any other national team".