Why is Joel Embiid Not Playing? Who is Joel Embiid?
by
Updated Aug 01, 2024
Why is Joel Embiid Not Playing?
Team USA is playing against Team South Sudan in their second game of the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the first half of the game, Joel Embiid, the 2023 MVP and a star for the Philadelphia 76ers, didn't get to play at all. This is surprising because he was a starter throughout the practice games and the early part of the tournament.
Coach Steve Kerr chose to start Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers instead. It seems that Embiid has been having a hard time adjusting to the international game compared to his usual performance in the NBA.
Who Replaced Joel Embiid in the Recent Game?
Joel Embiid was replaced by Anthony Davis in the starting lineup, and Bam Adebayo also got more playing time. Both Davis and Adebayo played really well on Wednesday: Davis had eight points, eight rebounds, and two blocks, while Adebayo led the team with 18 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
Embiid, who scored the most points in the NBA last season, didn't play at all on Wednesday. This situation is similar to what happened on Sunday when Jayson Tatum didn't play before coming back for the game against South Sudan.
Coach Steve Kerr said he benched Embiid to better match South Sudan's speed, but Embiid will return to the starting lineup for the game against Puerto Rico on Friday.
Joel Embiid in Olympics 2024
Joel Embiid chose to play for Team USA rather than France. On October 5, he made this decision during a meeting with Team USA general manager Grant Hill.
Embiid shared on X (formerly Twitter) that it wasn’t an easy choice. He feels fortunate to have connections to Cameroon, France, and the USA. After discussing it with his family, he decided to represent Team USA. He wants to play with his NBA teammates, show appreciation to his fans who have supported him, and honor his son, who was born in the U.S. Embiid said he wants his son to know that he played in his first Olympics for him.
Who is Joel Embiid?
Joel Embiid is a professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was born on March 16, 1994, and is originally from Cameroon. After playing one year of college basketball at Kansas, he was drafted third overall by the 76ers in 2014. Standing 7 feet tall, Embiid has been selected as an NBA All-Star seven times, made the All-NBA Team five times, and the All-Defensive Team three times. He has also been a top scorer in the NBA twice and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2023.
| Full Name | Joel Hans Embiid |
| Date of Birth | March 16, 1994 (age 30) |
| Place of Birth | Yaoundé, Cameroon |
| Nationalities | Cameroonian, American, French |
| Height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Weight | 280 lb (127 kg) |
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9kU9wZOVpl/?img_index=1
Joel Embiid Stats
Year |
Team |
GP |
GS |
MPG |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Philadelphia | 31 | 31 | 25.4 | .466 | .367 | .783 | 7.8 | 2.1 | .9 | 2.5 | 20.2 |
| 2017–18 | Philadelphia | 63 | 63 | 30.4 | .483 | .308 | .769 | 11.0 | 3.2 | .6 | 1.8 | 22.9 |
| 2018–19 | Philadelphia | 64 | 64 | 33.7 | .484 | .300 | .804 | 13.6 | 3.7 | .7 | 1.9 | 27.5 |
| 2019–20 | Philadelphia | 51 | 51 | 29.5 | .477 | .331 | .807 | 11.6 | 3.0 | .9 | 1.3 | 23.0 |
| 2020–21 | Philadelphia | 51 | 51 | 31.1 | .513 | .377 | .859 | 10.6 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 28.5 |
| 2021–22 | Philadelphia | 68 | 68 | 33.8 | .499 | .371 | .814 | 11.7 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 30.6* |
| 2022–23 | Philadelphia | 66 | 66 | 34.6 | .548 | .330 | .857 | 10.2 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 33.1* |
| 2023–24 | Philadelphia | 39 | 39 | 33.6 | .529 | .388 | .883 | 11.0 | 5.6 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 34.7 |
| Career | 433 | 433 | 31.9 | .504 | .341 | .826 | 11.2 | 3.6 | .9 | 1.7 | 27.9 | |
| All-Star | 5 | 5 | 26.1 | .623 | .440 | .750 | 9.4 | 2.2 | .6 | .8 | 23.8 | |
