Joel Embiid, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, has committed to play for Team USA at the Paris 2024 Olympics, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
Embiid informed Team USA executive director Grant Hill of his decision on Thursday morning, sources said, just days after the two quietly met for close to an hour in Ft Collins, Colo., where the Sixers are holding training camp.
Embiid, who was born in Cameroon and holds both French and American citizenship, has been at the center of an intense recruiting battle over which country he will represent at the Olympics.
He ultimately chose to represent the United States, sources said, because he wants to help the United States return to the top of the international basketball world after it failed to medal at the World Championships in Manila this summer.
Jayson Tatum recorded the 6th-most wins of any player under the age of 25 in NBA history.
1. Tony Parker – 343 W
Kobe Bryant – 343 W
3. LeBron James – 304 W
4. Dwight Howard – 294 W
5. Darryl Dawkins – 287 W
6. Jayson Tatum – 273 W
Reporting w/ @espn_macmahon: As Rockets continue to discuss deals with several teams, P.J. Tucker is a healthy scratch vs. Kings and remains frustrated that he hasn’t been moved to a contender, sources said. It's unclear when Tucker will return to lineup before March 25 deadline.
Sad news on this Christmas: Celtics legend KC Jones has died. Jones, a college teammate of Bill Russell at the University of San Francisco, where they won two NCAA titles, won 12 NBA championships — 11 with Boston: eight as a player, one as an assistant and two as a head coach.