France has not forgotten the betrayal of Joel Embiid, or at least they aren’t appreciative of his preference to play for Team USA. In the much-anticipated matchup against Serbia, Steve Kerr decided to start the Sixers ace, a plan that would only last for two and a half minutes.

From the very moment Embiid’s name was announced for the starting lineup, jarring reactions began to emerge from every corner of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy arena in Lille. Every time he touched the ball, it began to upset his rhythm. The Cameroonian center only had one attempt from the floor, which he missed.

Later, after drawing a debatable foul from Nikola Jokic, Embiid missed both his free throws. The tense reception from the audience clearly hindered The Process greatly. Steve Kerr was left with no choice but to remove him from the lineup as Serbia went on a 10-2 run to start the game.

While his teammates continue to support the 2023 MVP, the same can’t be said about the fans, who have reached their limit with the Philly star center.

Joel Embiid gets crushed by Team USA fans

Watching Embiid’s opening sequence at his Olympics debut wasn’t pretty. The 30-year-old seemed lethargic, failing to have an influential impact on the game. Furthermore, his demeanor benefitted Serbia. They sparked a daunting run to open the game, and fans had only Joel Embiid to blame. “Joel Embiid is the biggest threat to America since WW2,” an X (Twitter) fan wrote.

In his minutes on the court, Joel Embiid failed to contribute any points. He also accounted for an early turnover, enabling the Serbians to take charge. Generally, the dominant big man doesn’t find it challenging to impose himself on rivals. But he has found it difficult to adjust to the FIBA rules.

His inability to quickly adapt was bearable during the exhibition, but Team USA can’t afford any mistakes at the Olympics, a competition with only six games. Likewise, the fans want Kerr to make an adjustment. “Joel Embiid needs to be stashed on the bench,” a fan made the plea.

Steve Kerr, the head coach of Team USA, has been reluctant to shift Joel Embiid, despite his consistent underperformance since their exhibition games in Las Vegas. To be fair to the nine-time champion, the Sixers center did find success in the last two showcase games, scoring the ball fluently and adding value as a rim protector.

Other fans felt Joel Embiid couldn’t handle the game outside of NBA rules. One comment read, “Yea Joel Embiid ain’t built for this bro stinks.”

The Cameroonian has indeed found it troubling to attack the defensive setups and regulations of international basketball. Just this past season, Joel Embiid was on course to make history for scoring more points than minutes played. He hasn’t been able to translate identical dominance upon shifting to Team USA.

The seven-time All-Star’s recurring struggles and NBA-like play have begun to annoy some fans beyond control. One fan unleashed his frustrations over the Cameroonian, writing, “I cannot stand watching Joel Embiid foul grifting in international competition. That unethical basketball is disgusting to watch in the NBA scene and even more so on the international circuits when one should know better”.

Due to his size and the defensive pressure he applies, Joel Embiid is adept at drawing fouls in the NBA. However, the same volume of fouls can’t be expected at the Olympics since officials don’t call loose fouls. Nevertheless, Joel Embiid is known for working relentlessly to polish his skills. While there are hurdles to cross, the perennial MVP threat should overcome this slump soon.

Do you think Joel Embiid will bounce back from his slump despite the crowd distractions? Share your thoughts in the comments below.