The NBA community didn’t hesitate to jump on Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid for poor outings in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but they were also quick to apologize.
Embiid thrived in Thursday’s game against Serbia for a spot in Saturday’s championship matchup with France. He finished with 19 points, four rebounds, and two assists on 8 of 11 shooting. The final quarter was by far his best, causing an uproar of praise on social media.
Let me make this clear: USA would’ve gotten spanked in this semifinal game without Joel Embiid.
Respect. pic.twitter.com/Umlfs7oBBc
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 8, 2024
Even NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins, who is one of the most critical of Embiid this summer, issued an apology on X during the game. The Sixers big man was called out of shape, not made for the international stage, and worse for his underwhelming play.
He balled his ass out today respect
— BeastBron💜💛 (@bronisabeast) August 8, 2024
The gold medal matchup against France could go one of two ways for Embiid, considering his ties to the country as well as their loaded frontcourt. The one group who won’t stop booing him is the French fans, as Embiid chose to join Team USA instead. The center duo of Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert will pose a strong threat for Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Bam Adebayo. This means a monster outing could be in store for the Big Three of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry.
— Geo (@sixersgeo) August 8, 2024
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