We all know that following Joel Embiid‘s controversial decision to play for Team USA over France, the center has found it hard to receive the love of the locals at the Paris Olympics. In fact, he had faced constant booing and jeering from the crowd in every direction since their first showcase game. Although Embid has stated his justifications for choosing to play for Team USA, Doc Rivers revealed on the Bill Simmons podcast that he also played a role in Embid’s controversial decision.

“I pushed Joel to play for the USA, so I was part of that when I was there,” Doc Rivers said on the podcast. Back in 2022, when Embiid got his French citizenship, many believed that the Big Man would play for France at the 2024 Olympics. He even wrote a letter to the French President, mentioning, “I would like to take the steps to obtain French naturalization and thus be eligible for selection with the Blues. I, therefore, do not wish to play for any other national team.”

After this, a lot of eyebrows were raised when he decided to play for Team USA, which ultimately led to a lot of hate from the French fans towards the process at the Olympics. After Doc Rivers’ confession, it seems that he may have also been a factor in influencing Embiid’s controversial decision.

Even though Embiid was able to bag the Olympic gold with Team USA, imagine if he had chosen to team up with Wembanyama and France instead. That would have changed the game, no doubt!

Now, let’s dive into Doc Rivers’ thoughts on what could have happened if Embiid had played for the French team, as shared on the podcast.

What if Embiid had played for France in the Paris Olympics in 2024?

Even though Team USA beat France with an 11-point lead, there were moments when the French team gave the mighty USA some scares. Before Stephen Curry went off in the fourth quarter, France cut the lead to 3. So, maybe if France had another star player like Joel Embiid on the team, things would have been different. Even though Embiid was not able to do much in the finals, he played a big part in the comeback against Serbia, where the Serbian team had the upper hand over Team USA for most of the game.

“I was thinking, man, this would have been an interesting game if Joel and Wemby were on the same team,” Rivers said. “I was thinking what would be their [Team USA] other big.” With Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo as the only big men on the team other than Joel Embiid, Team USA would have needed to find another big man for the squad. “Honestly, it might have been Chet.” Bill Simmons replied to Doc on the podcast.

Sure, Chet Holmgreen would have been a good addition to the team, as host Bill Simmons suggested, but imagine what adding Embiid to their roster would have done for the French team. “If it was an in-shape Embiid with Welby and the Gobert as the backup big,” Bill Simmons added.

Joel Embiid might not have had a great overall run in the Olympics, especially with the constant booing and jeering from the French fans. But imagine if Embiid was in his full element, with the French crowd behind him, playing for France alongside the other two 7-footers in the team. Man, that would have been a sight to watch!

Think about it: Wembanyama’s versatility and shot-blocking prowess, combined with Embiid’s dominance in the paint and Gobert’s defensive player of the year credentials. This trio could have potentially set a new standard for defensive efficiency and versatility on the international stage. If that had happened, would the outcome of the tournament have been different? What are your thoughts on this?