76ers’ Joel Embiid on Why He Picked Team USA in the Olympics

USA Basketball has announced the 2024 USA Basketball Men's National Team, and the roster includes Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid. The team will compete at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. The games are scheduled for July 26 through Aug. 11, 2024. USA Basketball Men's National Team managing director Grant Hill picked the team, and the USA Basketball Board of Directors made the final approval for the team.

The 2024 USA Basketball Men's National Team features 12 athletes with lots of USA basketball experience, including the NBA's scoring leader LeBron James, who already has two Olympic gold medals. The roster includes Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat),Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics).

In total, the squad already has 11 Olympic appearances and owns 10 Olympic gold medals. But, some of the players will be in the Olympics for the first time. Curry, Leonard, Embiid, Haliburton and Edwards will all be competing in the Olympics for the first time, but Haliburton and Edwards both played for the U.S. team that finished fourth at the World Cup in Manila in 2023. The USA Basketball Men's National Team has won four consecutive gold medals as of late, since finishing with a bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Games. More than 40 players were under consideration to make it on the squad, so the powers had to take the roster down to just 12. The U.S. men have competed in basketball at the Olympics 19 times. In turn, they've won 19 medals: 16 gold, one silver and two bronze.

Joel Embiid decided to play for Team USA in the Olympics last year after becoming an American citizen. Embiid was born in Cameroon and could have also decided to represent France at the 2024 Olympics. But, he has very sweet and sentimental reasons for wanting to play for the USA. In a social media post from the 76ers' official account, they have a quote from Joel Embiid, in which he says, "My son is American and I've been here for such a long time. I just felt like, for the past few years, every decision I've made is just based on my family." I think that's such a heartfelt reason for wanting to represent the USA in Paris.

The NBA season is in full swing. The league recently came back to action after the 2024 All-Star break, and now, the season is about two-thirds over, and the end is in sight. But, there's still lots of season up ahead, and plenty of things could happen between now and the end of the season. So, as we had into the final stretch, what are some of the NBA teams to watch right now?

The teams on top are no stranger to high rankings. These teams have a long history of strong performances over the past few years. Hardly anyone would argue against the fact that the Boston Celtics are the strongest team in the league right now. They just keep winning, winning and winning. It's going to be hard to bring these guys down. Other extra strong teams include the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder. All three of those teams - the Celtics, Timberwolves and Thunder - have able to rack up 40 wins before 20 losses.

This is always an exciting time in the NBA. While plenty of the season is behind us, a lot could happen in the final one-third of the regular season. There are always surprises and upsets. I'm a Detroit Pistons fan, and while I'm not delusional enough to think that we're going to win it all this year, I believe in our team. I truly think the Pistons will surprise people in the last part of the season. Cade Cunningham has been playing very well lately. He's such a star. Moreover, the team just beat the Chicago Bulls on the road on Tuesday night (Feb. 27). That was following a near-win against the New York Knicks on Monday (Feb. 26), which the team lost largely due to a bad call. So, these guys might surprise you.

Let's get into five NBA teams to watch right now.

The 76ers are solid this year, but they aren't one of the best of the best. That said, there's lots of potential here. Watch these guys closely. It's so fun to watch Tyrese Maxey, who is a total superstar. He's been averaging an upwards of 28 points per game lately.

The Minnesota Timberwolves had a big loss to the Bucks following the break, but then, they came back and definitively beat the Nets. The Wolves have been experiencing a few offensive hiccups, but they're still one of the strongest teams in the league.

The Oklahoma City Thunder crew is on fire. Coming back from break, they totally blew out the Clippers, Wizards and Rockets. Chet Holmgren is a star here, averaging around 24 points a game.

The Denver Nuggets are another team that came out of break with fire. These guys have been on a winning streak since the break ended. Nikola Jokic has been especially strong since break, averaging around 27 points per game.

The Boston Celtics are really the strongest team in the NBA right now. They're on a winning streak, which is nothing new for them. They have not one but a group of star players in Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White. It's hard to see any team topping them.