During the brief period Joel Embiid has been on the court for Team USA at the Paris Olympics, he has shown that he might not be the best fit on that squad. Scoring only 4 points in his debut against Serbia, the former MVP was demoted to the bench the following game by head coach Steve Kerr. And his underwhelming performance has made many wonder whether USA Basketball should have selected a different superstar instead of Joel. However, media veteran Chris Broussard denied that possibility citing the same reason WNBA star Caitlin Clark was left out of the Olympics roster.

Discussing Joel Embiid’s performance on The Odd Couple Podcast, NFL legend Shaun King made a bold suggestion, “Zion Williamson should have been on the team in place of Joel Embiid.” Even though Zion is not a seven-footer and a former MVP like Embiid, King explained his unusual reasoning for the pick, “Make the game more exciting, you know, try to get people to tune in more. They’re gonna win regardless.” Yes, the NFL legend believes that Zion’s high-flying ability and vast popularity would have taken the ratings off the charts and Team USA would have won the gold anyway because of the plethora of talent they possess.

However, Chris Broussard gave Shaun a reality check by revealing USA Basketball’s priority with a controversial example, “The women’s team told you, they’re not about drawing fans. They’re about winning. That is why they didn’t have Caitlin Clark. I’m just saying.” While the whole nation wanted to see the most popular WNBA superstar wearing a Team USA jersey, USA Basketball went with a more proven and experienced women’s roster to pursue their eighth straight gold medal at the Olympics. And that’s the reason why Broussard believes Zion was never in consideration for a roster spot despite his global popularity. King countered the point saying, “If they want those elevated cheques like the men counterparts have, they better start being about drawing fans.”

Did Team USA really need Joel Embiid?

While Joel Embiid has struggled to perform in Paris, Team USA’s other big men Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo have been dominant throughout. After being bumped to the starter role to replace Embiid, AD balled out against South Sudan, scoring 8 points and seven rebounds. Moreover, he also took care of the defense with a steal and two blocks. Meanwhile, Bam had a monster 18-point scoring outburst to lead his team to a blowout win.

Seeing the two stars shine while Embiid struggles, Shaun King also questioned if USA Basketball even wanted to bring Joel to Paris in the first place, “Embiid doesn’t fit in any way. It’s almost like the Olympic team felt obligated to bring Joel because he was MVP.” Yes, leaving out a 34.7-point scorer off the team could have put the selection committee in deep trouble. That too after Embiid chose to play for America over his other two nationalities France and Cameroon. But because the selection has clearly not worked out so far, Embiid’s Team USA spot will remain in question until he silences the critics with a dominant performance. Do you agree?

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.