Joel Embiid stepped into the Paris Olympics amid loud boos. Almost a month later, the big man signed off with even louder boos. But the only difference is, he had a gold medal hanging on his neck. Above all, Anthony Edwards & Co. had his back at the end of the campaign. Especially, the medal distribution ceremony turned into a wholesome event with a synchronized effort from Embiid’s teammates.

It all began with a crucial decision that Embiid took in September 2022. A story of a betrayal. In May 2022, the French Federation of Basketball offered citizenship to the Philadelphia 76ers star on his request to play for the country in the 2024 Olympics. However, three months later, he committed to Team USA and agreed to represent the US side in Paris. It eventually left the French ball fans in disappointment. Most important, it left them in fury. Moreover, the rivalry couldn’t have gotten any better, as Team USA and France locked horns in the Finals.

So, whenever Embiid was in front of the public, he was welcomed with loud boos throughout his Paris trip. While he took it all in throughout the campaign, he gave it back to the fans at the medal ceremony. This time, he was not alone. When the big man bent down to accept the gold medal, he went down with loud boos. However, Embiid had all his teammates, gesturing the crowd to ‘give more’. It cannot be more synchronized unless they had it planned in the locker room.

Unlike his semi-final night, Joel Embiid had a silent game, scoring 4 points in his 11-minute stay. Anthony Davis took care of the rim protection job, scoring 8 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Despite not playing extended minutes on the floor, the big man seemed to have the last laugh, winning the battle against the French fans.

Kevin Durant addressed the loud boos against Embiid

There isn’t anyone better than Kevin Durant to embrace fans’ hate inside the arena. Throughout his career, the Slim Reaper has received boos constantly. Especially after he took the call to play for the Golden State Warriors, the OKC Thunder fans didn’t let go of the superstar easily. So, for a person to have encountered fans’ ‘boos’ throughout his professional career, French fans’ ‘boos’ against Embiid only meant a positive sign.

Speaking after the medal ceremony, KD said, “We all wanted the crowd to boo more. Joel thrives off that. That makes him better, so to be in a locker room for a month to understand, to get to know him as a person, as a basketball player. I’m grateful. That brotherhood gonna be there for the rest of our lives.”

Moreover, Joel Embiid won’t just walk away with a gold medal. He’d also carry a piece of France, but not at his expense. This may have sounded riddled. Let’s get to the point straight. Every medal distributed at the Olympics has an original piece of the Eiffel Tower in it. This has definitely turned into a fairy tale ending for Embiid, taking a piece of the historic structure at the expense of France.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.